May, 01, 2024
Fashion Design
Phoenix Art Museum traces the evolution of the color pink in original fashion exhibition
The Power of Pink features historical and contemporary ensembles, including Post Malone’s 2019 GRAMMY’s look
PHOENIX (May 1, 2024) – To complement the Arizona presentation of Barbie®: A Cultural Icon, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) curated original fashion exhibition The Power of Pink, which showcases over 200 years of powerfully pink fashions, a color which has become synonymous with the Barbie brand. Drawn largely from the Museum’s renowned fashion collection, 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. The Power of Pink is on view at Phoenix Art Museum through July 7, 2024.
The Power of Pink celebrates the complex history of the color pink, which is typically associated with feminine expression. The exhibition highlights examples of the color’s appeal to men and women across two centuries of style. 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. Pink has been celebrated by generations of fashionistas. 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.
One notable garment featured in the exhibition is a custom blush-toned suit worn by GRAMMY® Award-nominated, 8x RIAA diamond-certified global superstar Post Malone at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards. Created by Los Angeles-based costume designer and stylist Catherine Hahn, the dazzling garment decorated in glittering stars, was the latest in a long line of Western-inspired ensembles the musical artist wore that season, the same yearhe was dubbed “the cowboy king of the red carpet” by GQ and “a modern-day Elvis” by Vogue.
Images from The Power Pink can be downloaded here. To request interviews, contact the Communications Office of Phoenix Art Museum at 602.257.2117 or samantha.santos@phxart.org.
About the Exhibition
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.
Admission is free for Museum Members; youth aged five and younger; and Maricopa County Community Colleges students. Entrance into the exhibition is included in general admission for the public. During voluntary donation times on Wednesdays from 3 – 9 pm, made possible by SRP and the City of Phoenix, admission to special-engagement exhibitions is offered at a discounted price. For a full breakdown of general-admission prices and hours, see phxart.org/visit/.
About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.