Coming Home: Geoffrey Beene–Southern Reflections
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Displayed at the LSU Museum of Art and the LSU Textile & Costume Museum
Geoffrey Beene was among the twentieth-century's most successful American fashion designers. Through the exhibition Coming Home, we celebrate the many accomplishments of this master of classic style and impeccable craftsmanship who, for decades, reigned supreme as the gold standard of American fashion design. Beene, originally from Haynesville, Louisiana, was a Southern gentleman to his core, committed to celebrating beauty in all its forms. His excellence in design garnered him eight Coty Awards and two Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards. His work is held in the collections of leading institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum at FIT (the Fashon Institute of Technology), both in New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts. This exhibition is an outpost of a simultaneous Beene retrospective mounted at the LSU Textile & Costume Museum, located on LSU’s Baton Rouge campus. Sylvia R. Karasu, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine of New York City, donated over two hundred pieces of Geoffrey Beene fashion from her collection and related ephemera, documenting Beene's career and Dr. Karasu's passion for his designs. This outpost features a selection of garments from Dr. Karasu’s gift, along with sketches from Mr. Beene’s studio. Beene approached fashion from a perspective of flawless craftsmanship and design, adapting his training in French couture for the American market. Join us to celebrate Mr. Beene in 2024, what would have been the year of his 100th birthday. The exhibition at the LSUMOA is curated by graduate students from LSU’s Department of Textiles, Apparel Design, and Merchandising, under the direction of Associate Professor Dr. Michael Mamp. The LSU Textile & Costume Museum (TCM) is located at 330 Tower Dr. on LSU’s main campus and will display the main exhibition of Coming Home: Geoffrey Beene, featuring dozens of garments.
This exhibition at the LSU Museum of Art will be on view April 26–August 30, 2024.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Geoffrey Beene, hailing from Haynesville, Louisiana, left an indelible mark on American fashion. Despite familial expectations to pursue a career in medicine, Beene's passion for clothing and design emerged early, manifesting in sketches within the margins of his medical textbooks at Tulane. Although he never completed his medical studies, his time there fostered a deep understanding of the human form's intricacies, informing his future approach to fashion. Venturing to Paris, Beene immersed himself in the world of couture, drawing inspiration from luminaries like Edward Molyneux and Schiaparelli, whose theatrical flair left a lasting impression on his designs. Returning to the United States in the 1950s, Beene established his eponymous label in 1963, quickly earning acclaim with his inaugural collection featured on the cover of Vogue and subsequent Coty awards. Alongside building his own brand, Beene nurtured the careers of emerging talents like Alber Elbaz and Issey Miyake. Throughout his illustrious career, Beene's creations epitomized effortless elegance, blending dazzling aesthetics with comfort and meticulous craftsmanship. The LSU Textile and Costume Museum's exhibit, a branch of Coming Home: Geoffrey Beene, running from May 5, 2024, to January 24, 2025, celebrates Beene's legacy, showcasing his enduring influence on fashion and design. Developed by students in a fashion curation seminar, this exhibition underscores TCM's commitment to education and research in textile and dress artifacts across various cultures and eras.
Student Curators Md Nazmul Haque, Chloe Johnson, Lauren E. Lansdell, LaDyra Lyte, Mfon-Abasi Obong, Aja Palermo, Elizabeth Schick, Morgan Strzynski, MG Taylor, Penelope Williams, with visiting scholar Camila C De Albuquerque Olivera
Faculty Mentor Dr. Michael E. Mamp, Director & Curator LSU Textile & Costume Museum
Exhibition Lenders & Sponsors
We would like to thank the generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund: The Imo N. Brown Memorial Fund in memory of Heidel Brown and Mary Ann Brown; The Alma Lee, H. N., and Cary Saurage Fund; Charles “Chuck” Edward Schwing; Robert and Linda Bowsher; and The Newton B. Thomas Family/Newtron Group Fund.
This exhibition is in partnership with the LSU Textile & Costume Museum
