Explore: Todd Oldham Fashion at the RISD Museum

On January 4, 2016 we celebrated 7 years of Pop.Bop.Shop. At the close of that anniversary post I asked you, my incredible readers, what you would like to see on the site this year. One of the requests was for Pop.Bop.Shop. to hit the road and explore Providence, RI. Well, your wish is my command! 

Last weekend I drove to Mystic, CT for a wedding. The nuptials were on Friday evening, so we still had the whole weekend ahead of us. After a great morning in Mystic on Saturday, we drove about an hour north to Providence. We arrived to our Airbnb (my first time ever using the service) and after dropping off our stuff we ventured out to the RISD Museum. 

The museum was about a 15 minute walk from our place and the route took us down Thayer Street and through Brown's campus. 

We had one goal and one goal only at the museum, to drink in as much Todd Oldham fashion as possible. The exhibit opened on April 8, 2016 and fashionistas have been flocking from Boston to visit. 

We walked into the museum and let the woman at the welcome desk know we were interested in the Todd Oldham exhibit. It was $12 per person and with our tickets she handed each of us a museum map and a small envelope. Inside the pouch was a Todd Oldham button. More on that in a minute. 

The exhibit takes up the entire third floor of the museum. When you step off the elevator you walk out next to six fabric patterns. There is a description on the wall that explains the inspiration for each pattern.

This one (below) was my favorite. Oldham calls it the "Trash Print." It is made up entirely of items found one day on his walk to work. It's a mix of tabloids, tickets, old posters, bingo cards and more.  

Just a few steps away we were able to see the prints in action. The trash print serves as the base for the jacket on the mannequin in the rear. 

Another one of his prints is made up of teeny tiny Pantone color swatches. This dress features over 1,400 colors with zero repeats. How cool is that? 

In the back corner of the room were three mannequins modeling Oldham's approach to leopard and studs. 

In the center of the room, beneath a huge projection screen with his fashion show on a loop, was a case full of buttons. Oldham has found that he can never find exactly the kind of button or embellishment he wants for a piece, so he has them all custom made. He set up a casting facility in his factory that can make buttons and belt buckles in white metals, porcelain and resins.

Check out all the letter T buttons (for Todd, but of course).  

In a nearby case there were even more accessories, all made at the Todd Oldham factory. 

After swooning over the buttons (basically a giant jewelry case) we walked into the adjoining room which is home to the main event - rows and rows of Oldham's fun and wild looks. 

On the wall as you enter is the curator's note about the exhibit. It reads "Oldham's approach to design is well described by the writer Gertrude Stein's phrase 'and then there is using everything.' He draws meaningful inspiration from everything around him: the sewing skills taught to him by his mother and grandmother; memories of the bazaars in Tehran, where he lived as a teenager; thrift-store finds; vintage catalogue illustrations; narratives from Three Stooges episodes. Equally important, Oldham has tested the limits of technology and craft." She also notes that the exhibit is arranged in the style of a formal French garden, highlighting ideas and techniques rather than strict chronology. I couldn't wait to get started. 

This first look that caught my eye was this gold and bronze metallic set. This jacket was part of Oldham's very first collection for Bergdorf Goodman. 

This multi-colored beaded suit looked like it could be made of candy. In his commentary about the look Oldham shares that this set was inspired by the children's toy Lite-Brite. Once you know that, it seems so obvious! 

Oldham moved to Tehran when he was 12 years old and he still draws inspiration from the culture and those memories. This dress is made up of motifs from five different Persian rugs.

How gorgeous is the train?

I swooned over this next look - a black cashmere sweater paired a skirt that boasts three different layers of beaded silk chiffon. 

What can I say? I love sparkle. This next look, a silver top made entirely of faceted lochrosens over a shimmering floral skirt,  had me grinning from ear to ear. 

This next ensemble feels like peeking into the future. I hope in 10 years we're all wearing these types of jackets. That high collar is so regal and commanding. The dress was inspired by the idea of wearing a giant pile of Bulgari bracelets. 

In the center of the exhibit is a stunning piece that Oldham worked on with the students in the textile department at RISD. 35 students collaborated to create a one-of-a-kind textile for Oldham to use to construct the look. 

The sweater is knitted from stripes of the printed fabric and the skirt is embroidered with custom-made sequins and paillettes. 

Oldham is donating this look to RISD. He says RISD is, "its birthplace, after all." 

After taking a million pictures of the RISD students' creation, I continued walking.

I loved this idea of a pearl shawl. Every year for Restaurant Week my friends and I wear pearls to those special dinners. Can you imagine if I showed up with a pashmina made of pearls?

This next look, a fur stole over a bra top with an A line skirt, looks like something Olivia Wilde would wear on the red carpet. Do not worry, this is not real fur. Like me, Todd is a vegetarian and he only uses fake fur in his designs.

This next dress is made entirely of pipe cleaners! Oldham created this look for a friend to wear to the Love Ball in New York City back in 1991, the first ever fundraising event for HIV and AIDS.

Oldham calls this look the "Librarian Ensemble." He says the plaid wool oversized pants were inspired by Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy. 

This outfit (below) I would actually wear, head to toe. I love the sweater (neutral, but with a fun pattern) and the brocade pants. 

The print for this look (below) is made entirely from photographs in books about how to decorate cakes. 

This look is called the "Blanket Ensemble." Oldham writes, "I wanted to make evening dresses that you could wear while on a picnic and eat off your lap." He pairs the dress with a knit ski cap with a fringed mane. 

This last dress was one of my favorites. It was inspired by Oldham's memory of a taxi driver's turban coming undone. He describes, "The patterns are a hybrid of ancient Japanese embroidery patterns and preppy hair ribbons."

When I reached the end of the last row of mannequins I just wanted to walk through it all over again. I knew I would notice details on a second lap that I didn't catch the first time. 

One of things I found most exciting about this exhibit is that Oldham is still living, meaning we can continue to follow his work and wait with baited breath to see what he does next. Often times fashion exhibits are retrospectives of designers who have passed away. I loved getting to know Oldham's story and work, all the while knowing I will be able to follow his career for years and years to come. 

This exhibit is the perfect size and you can see the entire thing in under an hour. When we left I found myself feeling inspired, energized and excited. It is 100 percent worth the drive from Boston. 

If you'd like to see the exhibit in person, the show is mounted through Sunday, September 11, 2016.