BODY / BEYOND: Fashion That Transforms

BODY / BEYOND: Fashion That Transforms explores how designers have molded, remade, and even defied the human form. Featuring 22 works drawn from the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s world-renowned fashion collection, including three exciting new acquisitions on view for the first time, this exhibition presents fashion as a bold space for experimentation and self-expression.

From elegant couture to radical sculptural designs, the exhibition brings together iconic garments that do far more than dress the body—they transform it. Timeless 1950s couture by Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain celebrates the hourglass figure, while sharply tailored suits with assertive shoulders by Thierry Mugler and Martin Margiela evoke traditionally masculine silhouettes, reflecting women’s growing presence in professional spaces historically dominated by men.

Pushing beyond tradition, avant-garde works by Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake challenge ideas of fit, beauty, and wearability altogether. Together, these striking designs invite visitors to reconsider how fashion shapes the way we see ourselves—and how we want to be seen.