Curating Dior to Disco: Extrapolating complex narratives from existing objects

Abstract

During summer 2019, Dior to Disco: Fashion During the Era of Second Wave Feminism was on display at the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The exhibition explored women’s shifting identities, starting with the post-Second World War years through the mid-1970s. Curatorially, we sought out elements and narratives that went beyond popularized tropes of bra burning and disillusionment of upper middle-class white housewives. This article delves into the curatorial process with particular attention to the tension between material objects and the speculative tendencies of curation. Feminism and fashion are highly complex topics, which led to curatorial challenges and opportunities with respect to our exhibition goals, ongoing research and engagement with feminist theory. Additionally, we were working within the scope of the Goldstein Museum of Design’s collection and resources, with the goal of avoiding reductive narratives of the past.