YOUTHQUAKE! The 1960s Fashion Revolution explores the dramatic impact of young people on fashion during a decade of sweeping political, social, and cultural change. Vogue identified the eruption of the young in every field
as a youthquake
—a term that came to describe the rise of young people as the new arbiters of fashion.
Youthquake fashion was driven by two leading subcultures of the era: the Mods and the Hippies. Although both groups rejected the societal and sartorial traditions of the establishment,
their daring, individualistic styles were quickly adapted by high fashion designers and mass marketers alike.
The exhibition explores youthquake's origins in the Mod aesthetic. The section entitled Boutiques examines adaptations of Mod style and an emerging youth-centered shopping experience. The Mass Market and High Fashion sections show how youthquake looks were marketed to a wider audience, culminating by decade’s end in the swift appropriation of Hippie style. A special section called Fashion Goes Pop highlights the relationship between rock and roll music and 1960s fashion.
** A special interview with Betsey Johnson **