Drawn mostly from the renowned PhxArt fashion-design collection, The Power of Pink celebrates the complex history of the color pink, which is typically associated with feminine expression. The exhibition explores the color’s influence on fashion in all its complexities, tracing pink’s evolution from status symbol to gender marker to contemporary fashion statement.
Featuring more than 10 garments and ensembles, The Power of Pink encourages thoughtful examination of the color and its influence on major designers such as Gianfranco Ferré, Christian Dior, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, and more. The exhibition is presented in conversation with major exhibition Barbie®: A Cultural Icon Exhibition, created by Illusion Projects and curated by Karan Feder, in collaboration with Mattel. From its origins in 17th-century France, where it was worn by both men and women as a symbol of status, luxury, and power, to 1940s North America, where U.S. mass-marketing efforts began to gender the color, assigning pink to girls and blue to boys. Through more than 20 garments and ensembles, The Power of Pink encourages thoughtful examination of the color and its influence on major designers such as Gianfranco Ferré, Christian Dior, Valentino, Chanel, and more.
Installation views of The Power of Pink, 2024. Phoenix Art Museum.
EXHIBITION SPONSORS
The Power of Pink is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum. It is made possible through the generosity of Arizona Costume Institute, My Sister’s Closet, and the Kelly Ellman Fashion Design Endowment Fund.
All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
The Power of Pink is not licensed, sponsored by, or affiliated with Mattel, Inc or Barbie™ and associated trademarks.
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Phoenix Art Museum traces the evolution of the color pink in original fashion exhibition
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Featuring more than 20,000 objects, the collection spans the globe, bringing the world to our city, and our city to the world.
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