Victoria & Albert Museum London
1st March 2013 An exhibition awaited with much anticipation – David Bowie Is – opens this month at the V&A in London, and celebrates Bowie’s fifty years of songwriting, performing and recording, to designing costumes, stage sets and album artwork. The chronicle of Bowie’s extraordinary career starts in 1963, when David – or ‘Davie’ Jones as he was then – began to be involved with London’s burgeoning music scene. In 1965, he changed his stage name to David Bowie. He has never been fearful of breaking with tradition and being radical – whether in his choice of music or amazing costumes. The exhibition includes the original Ziggy Stardust jumpsuit and boots created by Freddie Burretti, and worn on national TV, when Bowie’s first single from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust was released. Bowie was fascinated with the designs of Kansaie Yamamoto, and approached him to design costumers for his Aladdin Sane tour. The striped bodysuit (above) was among the most flamboyant, sculptural and eye-catching that Bowie wore and was inspired by the Japanese style of samurai and kabuki actors.
The luxury Italian fashion brand Gucci, and Sennheiser Group, the acclaimed German manufacturer of microphone and wireless transmission systems have generously sponsored this pioneering exhibition. David Bowie Is an altogether striking celebration of a truly original performer, whose immensely creative imagination and ubiquitous presence in music, fashion and the stage continues to influence contemporary visual and virtual culture. Opens 23rd March through 11 August 2013. www.vam.ac.uk JG
Top photo: Striped bodysuit for Aladdin Sane tour. Designed by Kansai Yamamoto Photograph by Masayoshi Sukita 1963 Copyright Sukita/The David Bowie Archive 2012
Middle photo: Promotional shoot for The Kon-rads Photograph by Roy Ainsworth 1963 Courtesy of the David Bowie archive 2012. Copyright V&A Images