Rotterdam to stage exhibition on hoodies

The iconic contemporary dress item - the hoodie - is set to be explored as more than just a piece of clothing, in a new exhibition by writer and cultural commentator, Lou Stoppard.

Dubbed 'The Hoodie', the mixed-media exhibition will explore the role of the fashion garment as a “socio-political carrier” by uniting artworks with garments, printed matter, digital footage, social media posts and other cultural artefacts.

The works of several designers will be featured such as Rick Owens, Vetements, and Vexed Generation, alongside the work of seminal artists and photographers such as David Hammons, Campbell Addy, and Devan Shimoyama, to name a few.

The show will examine the hoodie in relation to several themes: the rise of surveillance culture and facial recognition technology; music and subculture; conversations around androgyny and gender fluidity; and the breakdown of traditional dress codes.

“The hoodie is at the centre of contemporary dress, hyped as a trend and a must-have item, but elsewhere, is also a signifier of moral panic, banned by certain institutions and dissected by the media as an emblem for inequality, crime or deviancy,” said the institute, in a news statement.

The exhibition will also aim to contextualise the hoodie in fashion history, tracing its evolution from 1930s workwear to a streetwear classic.

“The Hoodie” will take place at the Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam and will be on show from December 1, 2019 until April 12, 2020.

Rotterdam to stage exhibition on hoodies

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