This March, visitors will explore style through the lens of color in a new experience at the Indiana State Museum: Color of Style.
Whether people think about it or not, who we are shapes how we dress – and the colors that we choose to wear. This new experience will showcase more than 50 outfits from the museum’s historic clothing and costume collection, including everyday wear from the 1800s, a party dress from the 1920s, an outfit from the Jackson 5, and incredible pieces from iconic Hoosier designers Stephen Sprouse and Bill Blass.
“Color of Style is an opportunity for visitors to see how amazing our collection of historic clothing is,” said Meghan Smith, curator of the exhibit. “Featuring everything from high fashion gowns to homemade baby clothes, this experience gives our visitors a chance to engage with the collection and remember their own fashion histories.”
From the start, the experience will immerse visitors in color. They will wind their way through a color tunnel on their way into the exhibit, then take a quiz to discover which color best represents them. Inside the experience, nine fashion pods will feature outfits from different decades and even centuries, divided by their colors: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, pink, white and black.
Visitors of all ages can get creative in the Style Studio, where they’ll sketch their own unique fashions, soak in ideas from inspiration boards and create their own patterns to show off. Elsewhere in the exhibit, visitors can cast votes to determine “Who wore it better?” for various iconic fashions, try on colorful accessories and pose on the cover of a magazine, and more.
While the experience looks at the evolution of color choices and style over time, modern-day Hoosier designers will also be featured in special videos, including textile artist Kate Ellis, artist and indigo dyer Rowland Rickets, and up-and-coming fashion designer Yemisi Sanni. Plus, fashions and personal stories from real, everyday people will be shared within the experience itself, alongside the museum collection’s pieces.
“This new experience allows visitors to explore their own sense of style and think about how they associate different colors with themselves or others,” said Cathy Ferree, president and CEO of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. “Visitors have a chance to explore the stories of Hoosiers throughout time and engage in self-exploration and creativity throughout the experience.”
Color of Style will be at the Indiana State Museum from March 16 through July 28, and entry is included with purchase of general museum admission. This experience is supported in part by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis.
