EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

At the dawn of the Age of Photography in the 19th century, daguerrotypists were naturally drawn to the gentility, their opulent dresses and fancy ornaments making them ideal subjects. The first photographers also took portraits of cultural figures as well as the glitterati. They traveled to Japan just as the Edo period was closing and the Meiji era was starting, capturing on film the evolutionary transition of fashion in this country, from traditional Japanese attire to Western wear. Thus, fashion photography became global, as photographers journeyed to the farthest reaches of the world in search of local tribespeople dressed in indigenous garb. Drawing extensively on the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum’s renowned collection, the “Fashion in Photography” exhibition provides viewers with a panoramic perspective of fashion, from its earliest daguerreotype roots to modern-day “mode” stills that first appeared in postwar Japan and remain popular to this day.