ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The Savannah College of Art and Design is thrilled to present the exhibition The Blonds: Glamour, Fashion, Fantasy at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, opening Aug. 11, 2023. Curated by Rafael Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums, the exhibition is the first for The Blonds — designers and life partners David and Phillipe, one of fashion’s most electrifying duos. The exhibition will feature more than 100 elaborate and showstopping high-fashion-meets-costume-design creations by The Blonds from the runway, red carpet, and stage.
“Where else but SCAD FASH can you see ensembles worn by Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna and inspired by Cruella de Vil, Ursula, and Maleficent? These looks and more await fans, stans, and students alike in David and Phillipe Blond’s first-ever museum exhibition anywhere in the world — where Disney meets decadence and stage costume meets haute couture. Bling is back!”
Paula Wallace | SCAD President and Founder
Thematically presented in vignettes of crystal, diamond, and gold, Glamour, Fashion, Fantasy invites museum visitors into The Blonds’ extraordinary world of decadence, glamour, and unbridled self-expression. The exhibition highlights The Blonds’ intricate one-of-a-kind creations featuring unique craftsmanship, embroidery, and embellishments with opulent materials in corseted silhouettes. Core influences from the Golden Age of film, music, art, and animation manifest in The Blonds’ boundary pushing designs.
Glamour, Fashion, Fantasy is an expert curation of The Blonds’ most iconic looks worn by superstars including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton, Ciara, Dita Von Teese, Nicki Minaj, Billy Porter, and more. The exhibition also presents exclusive looks from The Blonds’ 2019 collaboration with Disney, a luxury fashion collection inspired by some of Disney’s most wicked characters including The Evil Queen, Ursula, Cruella de Vil, and Maleficent.
“The invitation to showcase a retrospective of our work at SCAD is an absolute honor and a dream come true! We are so grateful to Paula Wallace, Rafael Gomes, and the entire SCAD team for bringing this amazing exhibition to life. To be included in the company of other esteemed designer exhibitions is one of the highlights of our career, and we’re proud to invite visitors and fans to view this unique exploration of The Blonds universe!”
David and Phillipe Blond
Meeting as teenagers in the New York club scene’s famous Roxy nightclub, David and Phillipe Blond formed an instant, unbreakable bond. In the beginning, the duo created experimental and fanciful looks for nights on the town before formally establishing themselves as The Blonds, designing professionally since 2006. From there, The Blonds catapulted to global fame, celebrated for their costume-level fashion and bold, high-energy collections that fuse fantasy, fun, freedom, and camp. In the decades since, The Blonds have become the go-to designers for the world’s most iconic entertainers, A-list celebrities, and socialites, creating remarkable red carpet and performance ensembles from their New York atelier.
“The Blonds merge high-stakes glamour and fantasy with innovative couture-like creations, making them one of the most compelling brands in the industry today. We are thrilled to present the first exhibition dedicated to their artistry at SCAD FASH. David and Phillipe’s visionary approach to fashion design and individuality will excite and inspire SCAD’s next generation of creative visionaries and museum guests.”
Rafael Gomes | Curator and creative director of SCAD FASH museums
On the occasion of the exhibition opening, SCAD FASH will host a celebratory reception with the designers plus celebrity supporters, loyal friends, SCAD FASH members, and SCAD students. Students from the university’s top-ranked degree programs — including fashion, fashion marketing and management, luxury brand management, photography, animation, and film and television — will have the opportunity to engage with The Blonds through artists talks and other programming.
The Blonds: Glamour, Fashion, Fantasy is on view at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta through Feb. 18, 2024.
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ABOUT THE BLONDS
David and Phillipe Blond, known collectively as The Blonds, met at the famous Roxy nightclub, beginning both their decades-long partnership and love story. Getting their start in the New York club scene, the designers were drawn to clothing built to last while supplying high drama. Encouraged by an environment of self-expression and creativity, the pair experimented with new looks for nights out. When The Blonds began designing professionally in 2006, their world collided with the entertainment industry, and they have never looked back. The idea of clothing as a form of gender-free self-expression is at the core of their work, a guiding principle as they create designs that straddle the line between clothing and costume. Visit theblondsny.com.
SCAD FASH MUSEUM OF FASHION + FILM
SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film celebrates fashion as a universal language, garments as important conduits of identity, and film as an immersive and memorable medium. Situated within SCAD Atlanta, the museum presents dynamic exhibitions, captivating films, and enticing events that mine the rich and storied legacies of fashion history to inspire contemporary designers and future innovations. Supported by the university’s strong global presence and connections to renowned contemporary fashion designers, filmmakers, and creative professionals around the world, SCAD FASH is an integral part of the SCAD educational experience.
Like the award-winning SCAD Museum of Art, SCAD FASH serves as a creative resource for students of all ages and a wellspring of inspiration for visitors. Through programming that engages the university’s broad array of academic disciplines, SCAD FASH offers diverse exhibitions, films, installations, performances, and events to enliven and inspire the greater community year-round. Each program is designed to engage and appeal to visitors with varied backgrounds and interests, from textiles and jewelry to photography and film. Past exhibitions have featured the work of designers Christian Siriano, Robert Wun, Ruth E. Carter, Azzedine Alaïa, Pierre Cardin, Carolina Herrera, Mary Katrantzou, Guo Pei, and Oscar de la Renta. Photographic exhibitions have featured the work of Robert Fairer, Albert Watson, Jonathan Becker, Bill Cunningham, and Omar Victor Diop. Exhibitions are accompanied by curated film series that complement programming. Past SCAD commissioned films include Pierre Cardin: Le Futur, The First Monday in May, Funny Face, The Leopard, and Ovation for Oscar, among others.
SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university's renowned research lab and prototype generator.
SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S., according to Art & Object's 2023 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2023 study found that 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. Visit scad.edu.