No Junk Mail: Fashion in the Post
Friday, October 18, 2024 – 10:00–Wednesday, January 15, 2025 – 19:00
No Junk Mail: Fashion in the Post is curated by Marta Dell’Era and delves into International Library of Fashion Research’s collection. The exhibition explores the fascinating role of postcards and other mail-based communication in the fashion world from the 1990s onwards. Before brand imagery was instantly broadcast to millions via smartphones, the postal system offered a tactile, intimate way for brands to connect with consumers, participating in the wide spread of fashion images. As mail art has often served as pretext for collaboration between fashion and art, this exhibition sheds light on the broader creative networks and interdisciplinary collaborations that defined fashion communication – transforming the mailbox into an active space for artistic experimentation. No Junk Mail reveals how these seemingly fleeting objects encapsulate key moments in fashion history.
In the 1960s, the Mail Art Movement emerged in New York, using the postal system to send small artworks. This practice aimed to bypass traditional exhibition spaces, fostering a global network of creatives. Likewise, a few decades later, fashion embraced the post as a key communication tool. Mail projects became creative laboratories where brands built and refined their visual identities. While relying on the international postal service imposed some limits, designers saw it as an opportunity for graphic and typographic experimentation. As a result, these small printed materials serve as condensed expressions of the artistic tensions and energies that drove each brand, offering insight into the creative forces of this period. No Junk Mail features some peculiar examples of mail messages that, though born as functional objects for communication, straddle the line between disposable materials and collectible art.
In the 1990s, mail art became a crucial platform for fashion to cultivate interdisciplinary collaborations. Its design often served as pretexts to engage artists as creative partners, enlisting them as creative alibis - and allies, to infuse fashion’s communication with cultural depth and avant-garde perspectives. Today, this short-lived content serves as a physical archive of personalities and ideas. As ephemera, these mails were never meant to last – they were expected to be thrown away, and many likely ended up in the trash. Yet, some have been rescued by collectors; their survival offers a rare glimpse into the creative spirit and artistic aspirations that shaped an era, demonstrating how even the most ephemeral objects can hold artistic and cultural significance. The exhibition also features a curated mini-library of material from ILFR, which further explores the intersection of fashion, art, and communication. This selection is for visitors to read and browse through.
