This Psychedelic Exhibit Is A Fashionable Trip

If you've noted with alarm the burgeoning '70s fashion trend in store for Spring 2015, you're not alone. From Gucci to Pucci, the '70s were everywhere on the spring runways, and not all who viewed the collections were convinced that of the fashion industry's sanity. However, the FIT Museum's new exhibit, Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the 70s may clarify exactly why neckerchiefs and ponchos are suddenly de rigueur again. The exhibit makes its debut on February 5, Women's Wear Daily reports, and turns an analytical eye on two of the decade's most distinguished designers.

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the '70s or (American Hustle in their Netflix queue, for that matter) can list a number of the decade's most significant trends — plunging necklines, wide-leg trousers, jumpsuits, an excess of glitter — most of which can be attributed to Saint Laurent and Halston. In addition to a thoughtfully plotted timeline, the FIT Museum also provides an extensive array of roughly 80 swoon-worthy vintage pieces and 20 accessories which are meant to illustrate the manner in which each designer rendered the culture of the '70s. Women's Wear Daily's Bridget Foley astutely notes that while Saint Laurent and Halston created incredibly divergent aesthetics, there are parallels which become evident on viewing the exhibit. Key pieces include Saint Laurent's state-of-the-art Rive Gauche Le Smoking tuxedo, Halston's revolutionary shirt dress, and Halston's cream-colored sequined halter gown with its daringly dipped neckline. Both utilitarianism and luxury were in high demand during the decade, and could be found for the first time in the same pieces.

For fashion buffs, the exhibit provides an excellent opportunity to indulge in a bit of sartorial history and examine the decade's most breathtaking creations. And for those who find 2015's return to '70s fashion a painful and nonsensical fad, the exhibit will offer some measure of much-needed clarity. After a quick visit to the FIT Museum, you may even find yourself with an all-consuming craving for printed jumpsuits and suede mini skirts.

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