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Arts
September 20 - October 3, 2014
51
Vision Gallery Presents ‘The Little Black Dress’ BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
The little black dress has had a profound impact on women, as well as the fashion industry. The Vision Gallery is celebrating that with “The Little Black Dress: Through the Decades,” which is on display through Oct. 25. It marks the gallery’s first fashion collection. “We put this together specifically for the gallery,” says curator Robert Black, of Robert Black of Fashion and Ford Robert Black Agency in Scottsdale. “When we were asked to do an art exhibit for the gallery, we came up with a few ideas. But one that I thought that people would relate to, and the easiest, was the little black dress because it is the most classic of all design pieces.” From demure and understated, to bold and outrageous, each “LBD” is a work of art unto itself. The Vision Gallery’s comprehensive collection is easy to navigate and simple to understand. “It was a long process putting this together,” says Eric Faulhaber, Chandler’s visual arts coordinator. “We’d always
PLAYING FAVORITES: Little Black Dress curator Robert Black singled out his favorite “LBD” by designer Patrick Kelly, noting its simplicity in design and fabric but with bold splashes of color and artistic craftsmanship. STSN Photo by Lynette Carrington
wanted to do a fashion exhibition because the whole idea of fashion as art is something that has been fascinating to me for a very long time.” The process took Black about six months. He went decade by decade, starting with the 1920s, choosing designs by the likes of Geoffrey Beene, Mr. Blackwell, Halston, Tom Ford for Gucci, Norma Kamali, Gianni Versace, Schiaparelli, Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier. Local designers Angela Johnson, Galina Couture and Joy Li are also featured. A few of the dresses are from Black’s store Fashion by Robert Black in Scottsdale, which he co-owns with Doreen Picerne.
BACK IN BLACK: “The Little Black Dress: Through the Decades” will run at the Vision Gallery in downtown Chandler through Oct. 25. STSN Photo by Lynette Carrington
From the peek-a-boo emerald green sleeve and hemline accents on the Roy Halston LBD to the whimsical “mood checklist” LBD by Moschino, each designer represented has left an indelible mark on the world of the little black dress. Vision Gallery is located at 10 E. Chicago St., at Arizona Avenue. Call (480) 782-2695 or visit www.visiongallery.org for additional information. Lynette Carrington is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. She can be contacted at lynette@santansun.com.
DRESSES THROUGHOUT HISTORY: The collection of little black dresses represents the versatility and staying power of a dress that is a staple in every woman’s closet. STSN Photo by Lynette Carrington