'Artist/Rebel/Dandy' Exhibit to Debut at RISD Museum of Art

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New England knows a thing or two about men's style, past and present. Functional fashion has always been revered in these parts, from the buckle hats of our pilgrims (big thanks to Steven Colbert for acknowledging 'em in last week's broadcast) to JFK's Ivy League looks from J.Press in Harvard Square and now compounded in a vibrant menswear community, with standout boutiques to support it. But what the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art is focusing on is much more specific, bringing us to the dandy.

The "Artist/Rebel/Dandy" exhibit opens this weekend, highlighting more than 200 objects that epitomize the wardrobe and lifestyle of this character appearing throughout the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. From Oscar Wilde and King George IV to contemporaries Vogue editor Hamish Bowles and New York's Patrick McDonald, this is the first display that explores the full spectrum of the dandy. "It comes at a time of renewed appreciation for the nuances and attention to detail of traditional tailoring but also innovation and boldness in menswear design. The dandy, a historical figure, is central to this development," says RISD Museum Director John W. Smith in a press release.

The exhibit runs from Sunday, April 28, through Sunday, August 18, at the RISD Museum of Art in Providence. Looks to be worth a field trip.
· Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of Fashion [RISD Mueseum of Art]