Tiger’s Leap
Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future
Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising
University Center for the Arts East, 216 East Lake Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Part I: Oct. 8, 2024–April 26, 2025; Part II: May 6-July 19
Admission: free
Review by Paloma Jimenez
Silk, pleats, pintucks, velvet, denim, lace, silver buttons, polka dots, and polyester. Fashion is full of material delights designed to express a vast array of personal and cultural values. The first installment of Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future at Colorado State University’s Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising delves into the cyclical history of fashion trends within their broader social contexts. Historically informative with a wide array of garments on view, the exhibition unravels the illusion of aesthetic newness within culture.
An installation view of the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future at the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
The “New Neoclassicals” section in the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Tiger’s Leap avoids a linear approach to fashion history and instead organizes the collection into thematic groupings based on construction techniques and visual references. It begins with the “New Neoclassicals” section, referencing the ancient Greek and Roman penchant for elegant drapery and pleats. As the exhibition text explains, the revived interest in monochromatic classical styles during wartime reflected a desire for “bodily wholeness, unification, and stability.” [1]
Issey Miyake [Japan, founded 1971], Brown Ensemble, c. 1989, polyester, donor: anonymous, Avenir Museum no. 2024.19.1. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
This contextual theme offers a new perspective on the pleated two-piece set by renowned fashion designer Issey Miyake. Born in Hiroshima, Miyake survived the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945. The simple and refined 1989 brown micro-pleat suit expresses his lifelong interest in sartorial unity and structural technologies—a form of world building that stands as the antithesis to nuclear warfare’s total destruction.
The “Reversals” section of the Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future exhibition. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Fashion has always been in an endless pursuit of solutions to both real and invented problems. How to look taller, stronger, richer, prettier…thinner. Corsetry is one of the more historically controversial solutions. The “Reversals” section displays the evolution of corsets from undergarments to bold fashion statements.
Madame McCabe [United States, founded c. 1882], Corset, c. 1887, cotton, metal, and elastic, Avenir Museum no. 1910.3.1. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
The section titled “A Stroll Through Time” in the Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future exhibition. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
We are able to see the interior construction of an 1887 corset by Madame McCabe. Splayed open and worn thin at points of contact, the vitrine presentation is a voyeuristic peek into Victorian womanhood. Across the way in the “A Stroll Through Time” section, we see what she might have worn on the outside. Directly facing the walking gown and separated by nearly one hundred years, a 1960s silk skirt suit is equally buttoned up to the neck.
The “Avant Garde” section of the Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future exhibition. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Tiger’s Leap reveals that holding it all together—a physical means to a psychological end—remains a constant throughout fashion trend cycles. Buttons, clasps, and tailoring signify a certain amount of control over one’s body. The “Avant Garde” section in the exhibition details how women adopted the tailored styles of the military in an expression of patriotic solidarity. [2] Ordered constellations of buttons on the bodices keep the body firmly encased in an upright position.
The “Play” section in the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
The James Galanos dress in the “Play” section of Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. Image by DARIA.
For all of the constraints fashion trends may impose upon the flesh, free-flowing whimsy remains in perpetual bloom no matter the era. “Play” consists of garments that reimagine the aesthetics of medieval entertainment outfits. The fluid red ribbon balloon sleeves on a James Galanos gown contrast humorously with the fitted skirt’s eccentric print; the outfit performs for the wearer, adopting the shape and prints of a court jester. The “Play” section of the museum feels most representative of the current trend cycle, as harlequin prints and flouncy sleeves have been gaining traction again.
Left: Alexander McQueen [England, founded 1992], Redingote Coat, 2008, wool and silk, Avenir Museum Purchase, Avenir Museum no. 2018.54.2. Right: Men’s Suit Jacket, c. 1900, wool, donor: Margaret Fillmore, Avenir Museum no. 1989.43.6. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Nearby, Alexander McQueen takes a more subtle approach to ruffled collars in “The Tailor’s Line” display. Elevated seams accentuate the shape of the torso in his 2008 Redingote Coat and it could be worn in any decade—high-quality materials and thoughtful construction remain timeless. Placed next to a men’s suit jacket from 1900, we can take an up-close look at the subtle similarities and differences in the seam placements.
The “Twists” section in the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Other enduring materials, such as lace in the “Twists” section of the exhibition, also evolve with the times. The delicately woven fabric tells the social history of women. What started out as undergarment material became a uniform for suffragettes, and then later, a signifier of feminine strength for 1980s businesswomen. [3]
The “Smock/Frock” section in the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
A detail view of Dress, c. 1920, silk, donor: JoAnne Howe, Avenir Museum no. 2013.43.11. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Some garment construction techniques started out as practical solutions for menswear and were slowly incorporated into women’s clothing, as detailed in the “Smock/Frock” display. Smocking gathers the fabric to allow for more bodily flexibility and was an obvious choice for creating dynamic dresses. A 1920 cream silk dress on view boasts no ornamentation other than a beautifully smocked skirt.
The “Illusions” section in the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. On the right: Scott Paper Company [United States, founded 1879], Paper Caper Dress, 1966, dura-weave cellulose, donor: Jan Else, Avenir Museum no. 1993.51. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
But fashion increasingly often sacrifices beauty for efficiency and newness. “Illusions” hints at the current state of fast fashion with a 1966 paper dress produced by Scott Paper Company, meant to be discarded after a couple of wears; it probably looked great in a Polaroid snapshot. The crinkled cellulose dons a checkered op-art print and looks more like a two-dimensional art object than something that could be worn by a fully dimensional moving body.
An installation view of the exhibition Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future at the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Evidence of the body, fabric’s closest companion, abounds throughout Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future. Frayed hems, food stains, and loose threads remind us that fashion is a story of human bodies convening, dining, protesting, strolling, marching, and playing. Human history repeats itself, for better or worse, and fashion trends follow suit. Part II, opening May 6, is sure to offer more insightful and surprising juxtapositions.
Paloma Jimenez (she/her) is an artist, writer, and teacher. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and has been featured in international publications. She received her BA from Vassar College and her MFA from Parsons School of Design.
[1] From the Tiger’s Leap: Fashion Past, Present, Future exhibition text.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
