The world of fashion is brought to your fingertips in a new virtual exhibition by Google in collaboration with the National Museum in Warsaw and world renowned cultural institutions.

 

3000 years of the world’s fashion is brought together in the largest virtual exhibition of style. The We wear culture project by Google Arts & Culture is a collaboration with the National Museum in Warsaw and over 180 renowned cultural institutions from New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, São Paulo and around the world. Using state-of-the-art technology, the project allows you to explore everything from the ancient Silk Road, through the courtly fashions of Versailles, to British punk and the stories behind the clothes you wear today. Iconic pieces that changed the way generations dressed, such as Marilyn Monroe’s high heels or the Black Dress by Chanel are brought to life in virtual reality. Beautiful embroidered garments and fashion accessories by the National Museum in Warsaw are now available online as part of the global exhibition opening today. 

 

The exhibitions feature the icons, the movements, the game changers and the trendsetters including Alexander McQueen, Marilyn Monroe,  Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Christian Dior,  Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Yves Saint Laurent, Manolo Blahnik, Gianni Versace , Oscar de la Renta, Pierre Balmain, Vivienne Westwood, Miyake Issey and many more.

 

Fashion experts, curators and designers as well as universities, museums and NGOs from around the world collaborated on the exhibition to show that fashion is a part of our culture, a form of art and a result of true craftsmanship with a multifaceted impact. Google’s state-of-the-art technology, including virtual reality, 360° videos, Street View and ultra-high resolution “gigapixel” images were used to preserve the collections and make then available for everyone. 

 

The project brings together the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw with over 180 emblematic institutions. The stories of four iconic pieces that shaped fashion history are brought to life in virtual reality films that one can watch on YouTube or with a virtual reality viewer. Chanel’s Black Dress from Paris, France (1925) that that radically changed the dresscode of wearing black, making it a statement piece in every woman's wardrobe. Marilyn Monroe’s stilettos by Ferragamo from Florence, Italy (1959-60), the sparkling red high heels that became an expression of empowerment, success and sexyness for women. Comme des Garçons Kimono-inspired sweater and skirt from Tokyo, Japan (1983), that manifests how Rei Kawakubo brought traditional and contemporary Japanese Kimono aesthetics and craftsmanship onto the global fashion stage in radical designs. Vivienne Westwood Corset, from London, UK (1990), which celebrates the designers unique take on one of the most controversial garments in history, and brings the worlds of fashion and art together.

 

The We wear culture exhibition is available online at g.co/wewearculture and through the Google Arts & Culture app on iOS and Android for everyone.