This seminar uses the haute couture fashions exhibited in the Met’s 2018 blockbuster exhibit Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination to examine the production of meaning through material culture and the uses of the Middle Ages to engage contemporary issues. After being introduced to the history of fashion and critical questions in clothing and textile studies, students will define and conduct their own research projects using the exhibit catalog as a primary source.

In 2018, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York presented an exhibit of contemporary designer fashions inspired by the Catholic tradition. Entitled Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, and staged amidst the museum’s Byzantine and Medieval galleries, the exhibit was opened with a Met Gala featuring celebrities—such as Rihanna, Madonna, Katy Perry—decked out in their versions of Catholic attire. Heavenly Bodies went on to break all attendance records, but this smash hit exhibit also sparked controversy and critiques. For scholars, the exhibit’s chief disappointment was its failure to contextualize the extraordinary haute couture garments presented or to interrogate critically the meanings generated. What were designers trying to do with Catholic imagery? How is fashion drawing upon the visual culture of Catholic Christianity, particularly medieval Christianity, in order to fashion contemporary identities and use the clothed body to engage and comment upon the contemporary world? This freshman-sophomore seminar explores the relationship between contemporary fashion designers and the “Catholic imagination” by engaging students in critically examining some of the designs exhibited in the Heavenly Bodies exhibit. After being introduced to the history of fashion and critical questions in clothing and textile studies, students will define and conduct their own research projects using the exhibit catalog as a primary source. Having selected a garment, or collection of garments, from the exhibit, students will be guided through research and analysis of key issues: the background, ideas, and work of the designer(s); the collection context and reception of the garment(s) exhibited; the materials, symbols, and forms used and the array of possible meanings generated; and the further meanings evoked in the exhibit by the garment’s juxtaposition with Medieval and Byzantine works of art. All readings will be available online or otherwise provided by the instructor. There are no prerequisites for this course, nor is the permission of the instructor necessary to register. The seminar is designed to introduce freshman and sophomores to material culture studies and provide a supportive community for independent research. An alternative form of final assessment will be used, so there will not be a final exam during the scheduled final exam time.

This seminar will be taught synchronously, via remote instruction. It will meet regularly during the scheduled class times, and students will need to attend those meetings to succeed in the class.

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