Series: Fashion and Culture

Throughout her 90-plus years, Queen Elizabeth II held a clear fashion concept: she is the queen, and therefore needs to stand out. The revered queen succeeded in this regard and managed to dress in a way that not only challenged the conservatism of the kingdom but also transmitted power and strength while guarding the British royal tradition that dates all the way back to the 16th century. In her lecture, fashion historian Ya’ara Keydar will take a look behind the wardrobe of the woman who amazed her admirers - long before Instagramers obsessively analyzed every detail of the clothing of the members of the royal family - from Diana, through Kate Middleton to Meghan Markle.

Some of the most captivating artistic performances have unfolded on the runways, where couture meets street fashion. Visionaries like Thierry Mugler, Hussein Chalayan, and the Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf, among others, have crafted unforgettable worlds by blending fashion with performance and technology. They have redefined the relationship between fashion shows and performance art, pushing boundaries with collaborations that resulted in astonishing looks, from futuristic garments to wearable armchairs. Yaara Keydar offers an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of this dynamic intersection of fashion and performance on the world's most coveted runways.

Dresses with a motorcycle-handle bra-piece, metal corsets with jointed abs, and a robot dress: a journey into a world of fantasy, Amazonian models, haute couture, fetish and glamor in the footsteps of legendary designer Thierry Mugler. Mugler, one of the twentieth century's most daring and innovative designers , was a promising classical ballet dancer in his youth, but abandoned dance for another stage: fashion. It soon became apparent, however, that the stage had not abandoned him, for his runways featured theatrical costumes and haute-couture clothes that shocked the world. The bold clothes he created were always designed for the greatest divas—and presented a new femininity. Mugler passed away in 2022. The lecture follows his extraordinary story and examines his miraculous work through an extensive traveling exhibition of his work.