SCAD FASH presents 'Entering Modernity: 1920s Fashion from the Parodi Costume Collection'

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The Savannah College of Art and Design is honored to present Entering Modernity: 1920s Fashion from the Parodi Costume Collection, opening Friday, June 21, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. Featuring more than 60 works by designers who embraced the decade’s ethos of experimentation with their convention defying artistry, Entering Modernity highlights the styles and silhouettes that came to define one of the most revolutionary periods in fashion history. The exhibition is curated exclusively for SCAD FASH by Francisca Parodi, founder of the Parodi Costume Collection, and Gonzalo Parodi, director of the Parodi Costume Collection, in partnership with Rafael Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums.

Ushered in by the postwar boom of economic prosperity and freshly won freedoms, the Roaring ’20s were marked by glitz, glamour, and radical social and sartorial transformations. Following the global upheavals of World War I and the women’s suffrage movement, a modern generation emerged, liberated from the confinements of the past. Upending deeply entrenched traditions and domestic expectations, the women of the 1920s embraced new careers, new experiences, and new attires — no longer bound by the rigid conventions and wardrobes of their 19th-century forebearers. Marked by elevated thinking as much as excess, the Jazz Age would forever change how women dressed, behaved, and expressed their new sense of self.

“This summer, make your way to SCAD FASH for an unforgettable journey back to the Roaring ’20s! Entering Modernity brings the radical world of the Jazz Age to glittering, glamorous life only at SCAD FASH. Visitors will be dazzled by evening wear and accessories fit for a night at Gatsby’s from legendary designers Paul Poiret, Madeleine Vionnet, Jeanne Lanvin, and Jean Patou. One century later, these culturally important garments continue to resonate and inspire.”

PAULA WALLACE | SCAD President and Founder

Emphasizing the richness of materials and garment construction, Entering Modernity offers a glittering showcase of 1920s-defining styles — from the newly introduced cocktail dress with its sleek layers and drop waist hem to other relaxed silhouettes designed for movement — presented through the lens of the decade’s unprecedented movements for freedom, empowerment, and experimentation. Among the many expertly preserved and rarely seen haute couture works from the archive of the Parodi Costume Collection, the exhibition spotlights Madeleine Vionnet’s Flame Dress, Jeanne Lanvin’s Robe de Style, a wedding gown by Paul Poiret, a cocktail dress by Jean Patou, and other signature looks by Mariano Fortuny and Henriette Negrin, among others.

“This collaboration between SCAD FASH and the Parodi Costume Collection is the ideal combination of archival depth, excellent scholarship, and discerning curation supporting education. As a university museum, SCAD FASH is the ultimate environment to promote exchange on the origins of modernity in fashion. Together, we aimed at a deeper narrative that exposes the evolution and complexities of garment design beyond conventional representations of the decade. We are honored to present the result of our dialogue in this exhibition.”

GONZALO PARODI | Director of the Parodi Costume Collection

To celebrate the opening, SCAD FASH will host an intimate members preview Thursday, June 20. The event will include a gallery conversation between SCAD professor Sarah Collins and Gonzalo Parodi delving into the decade’s sartorial innovations and contemporary efforts to preserve fashion history. SCAD students from top degree programs — including fashion, art history, illustration, fashion marketing and management, and luxury and brand management — will have the opportunity to engage with the curators through special talks and exhibition tours.

“We are honored to collaborate with the prestigious Parodi Costume Collection, an institution dedicated to fashion conservation, archiving, and education. The 1920s are one of the most illustrious decades, symbolic of the era’s modern movements in all facets of society — decadence and freedom from restraints of all kinds. SCAD FASH is thrilled to bring such important works of couture from names forever linked with the period, including Paul Poiret, Madeleine Vionnet, and Jeanne Lanvin, for our students and guests to learn from these iconic works of fashion history.”

RAFAEL GOMES | Creative director of SCAD FASH museums

Entering Modernity: 1920s Fashion from the Parodi Costume Collection is on view June 21–Aug. 25, 2024, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. For more information, visit scadfash.org.

ABOUT THE PARODI COSTUME COLLECTION
Founded by Francisca Parodi in the mid-1960s, the Parodi Costume Collection is dedicated to sartorial conservation, research, and education. Maintaining a vast archive of well-preserved pieces from significant moments in fashion history, from the mid-1800s to the late 20th century, the Parodi Costume Collection features a wealth of garments, accessories, and ephemera that explicate the enduring influences of the past. Located in Miami and open to visitors, the Parodi Costume Collection curates its extensive holdings in exhibitions that explore the impact of fashion on greater society.

SCAD FASH MUSEUM OF FASHION + FILM
SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film celebrates fashion as a universal language, garments as important conduits of identity, and film as an immersive and memorable medium. Situated within SCAD Atlanta, the museum presents dynamic exhibitions, captivating films, and enticing events that mine the rich and storied legacies of fashion history to inspire contemporary designers and future innovations. Supported by the university’s strong global presence and connections to renowned contemporary fashion designers, filmmakers, and creative professionals around the world, SCAD FASH is an integral part of the SCAD educational experience.

Like the award-winning SCAD Museum of Art, SCAD FASH serves as a creative resource for students of all ages and a wellspring of inspiration for visitors. Through programming that engages the university’s broad array of academic disciplines, SCAD FASH offers diverse exhibitions, films, installations, performances, and events to enliven and inspire the greater community year-round. Each program is designed to engage and appeal to visitors with varied backgrounds and interests, from textiles and jewelry to photography and film. Past exhibitions have featured the work of designers Christian Siriano, Robert Wun, Ruth E. Carter, Azzedine Alaïa, Pierre Cardin, Carolina Herrera, Mary Katrantzou, Guo Pei, and Oscar de la Renta. Photographic exhibitions have featured the work of Robert Fairer, Albert Watson, Jonathan Becker, Bill Cunningham, and Omar Victor Diop. Exhibitions are accompanied by curated film series that complement programming. Past SCAD commissioned films include Pierre Cardin: Le Futur, The First Monday in May, Funny Face, The Leopard, and Ovation for Oscar, among others. Visit scadfash.org.

SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2023 study found that 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. 

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