"Fashion Forward" explores the evolution of style and how we think about clothes, all through a Texas lens. Paris, Milan, New York. Each of these cities is internationally recognized as a fashion capital. Though less immediately recognized, Dallas has played a critical role in bringing the world of high fashion to its larger state and nation.

The innovative designs and designers featured in "Fashion Forward" changed the way the world dressed, finding their way from international fashion houses to Texan closets, from fashion-forward trend to classic wardrobe staple. Primarily drawing from the Texas Fashion Collection at the University of North Texas, one of the most significant fashion archives in the U.S., "Fashion Forward" positions Dallas and Texas as an unexpected fashion epicenter.

Highlights include pieces representing Christian Dior’s "New Look," the casual American style of Ann Klein and Geoffrey Beene, and the Italian craftsmanship of Missoni and Emilio Pucci. Text, images, and media will be used to deepen appreciation of fashion as art and demonstrate how to "read" a garment for its cultural and historical context. Hands on interactives will explore patterns, trends, and color. Visitors will leave with a deeper understanding of fashion history, Texas’s role within that history, and how the fashion innovations of yesterday affect what we wear today.

The exhibit will remain on display through April 12, 2020.