Rudi Gernreich: On Exhibit

"The TOTAL LOOK" is a collection of 1960's fashions by L.A. designer Rudi Gernreich. Billed as the creative collaboration between Rudi Gernreich, his model Peggy Moffitt and her husband William Claxton, his photographer.  This exhibit displays her personal collection of fashions, photos and movies. This is on display at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art's annex at the Pacific Design Center.  The gallery site is a small two story building where the entry is into a dark gallery.

The opening gallery showcases tunics and full ensembles with matching leggings in animal prints. Ongoing is a large screen showing a short film with music from the 1960's featuring the clothes on Moffitt and other models.

Upstairs, a larger gallery packs a wide range of fashions into one space. His iconic topless swimsuit is there, of course, along with the famous photo of Moffitt wearing it. Grouped by style trends, his work during this decade is featured.

Many of his best know fashions are there to be seen up close and personal. The greatest impact might be  color and pattern worn head to toe, a style that Gernreich made famous. Bright, bold colors are paired with graphic black and whites for emphasis and drama.  Tunics and legs are usually color and texture coordinated, making for a 'Total Look' as the name implies.

These aren't fashions for the faint at heart, but they certainly capture a sense of fun and play that his fashions were known for. Beyond the bold and outrageous, there are many outfits that are wearable today (needless to say, often copied as well).

 The Total Look is on now at the MOCA site at the Pacific Design Center through May 27, 2012.

Want to know more?
You can see close-up photos of the KABUKI  dress shown here from my collection,
and pictures of some early Gernreich fashions, HERE.

Rudi Gernreich California Fashion Designer: early 1960s fashion designs

Early on, California fashion designer Rudi Gernreich was associated with the young fashion innovators. In these early 1960's designs, his look was clean cut, easy to wear and popped with bright contrast or graphics. The silhouettes forecast the shirt or "A" line shapes that would be widely worn later in the 1960s

These styles show that even common fabrics such as table cloth checks found new fashion meaning under his genius. Although he was working with wovens, during this time many of his designs were wool double knits for Harmon Knitwear.

Prices were above average, with the little striped Harmon Knitwear sailor dress and jacket selling for $65.

Vintage Details: Rudi Gernreich: 2 Kabuki Dresses, Autumn 1963

It's not often that we get a chance to see two vintage dresses that are from the same collection: similar in design, but different in fabrication.

Rudi Gernreich produced a wide range of innovative designs during his career, but the Kabuki dress remains one of the most recognizable. Designed in 1963 for his Autumn collection, it is a wool double knit with body drape. What made it so unique was the eye popping textile colors and the innovative bodice 'obi' belting across the bustline.

As early as 1954, when in his early 30’s, Gernreich was noted for his colorful, geometric, and unique styling. His styles are highly influenced by the flapper silhouette of the 1920’s, which was a departure from the hourglass look being designed in Paris by Dior. In 1951 he began working for Walter Bass, a California manufacturer. There he became well known for contemporary clothing design.

He created boxy jackets and tight pants and other clothing styles that would become more commonplace in the early 1960’s but were considered bold, sophisticated, and shocking 10 years earlier.

Like Claire McCardell and Bonnie Cashin, he was influenced by Asian garment styles. As a designer he felt that he was a practicing artist, where aesthetics were important. He also believed that a good design need not be discarded after only one season.



Wool knit textiles were produced by Harmon knitwear. In the early 1960's his color sense and ability to manipulate textile graphics were becoming popular. The bold colors and patterns here predict the trend in fashion that would become mainstream by the late 1960's and early 1970's.



And finally, a quick look at the inside construction. The obi section is backed by cotton broadcloth to prevent it from stretching out of shape.


(click on the photos so see enlargements)
Please contact me if you wish to use these photos, thank you