Kansai Yamamoto and Vanessa Friedman to talk David Bowie at the Brooklyn Museum

By

Robin Driver

Published
May 3, 2018

Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, and The New York Times’ chief fashion critic and fashion director Vanessa Friedman are set to take part in a special edition of “Brooklyn Talks” dedicated to Yamamoto’s work with Bowie, slated to take place at the Brooklyn Museum this May.

 
Having caught the star’s attention with his debut collection in 1971, Yamamoto was responsible for some of Bowie’s most iconic outfits, including the “Space Samurai” jumpsuit worn by the artist for his Ziggy Stardust tour in 1972.
 
Yamamoto will be joined in conversation by Friedman who has been fashion director and chief fashion critic at The New York Times since 2014, having also contributed to Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and the Financial Times.

The discussion is part of the “David Bowie is” exhibition currently being hosted at the Brooklyn Museum, which is the exhibition’s last stop after five years touring the globe. Many of the pieces that Yamamoto created for Bowie are among the over 400 objects on display, which include Bowie’s original costumes, handwritten lyrics, photographs and videos, and have been sourced primarily from the David Bowie Archive.
 
The exhibition, which is organized by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is described in a release as “an immersive, multimedia installation” and seeks to track Bowie’s creative journey throughout his life, exploring how the original artist’s legacy has shaped contemporary culture and society.
 
The Brooklyn Museum’s presentation of “David Bowie is” has been organized by the institution’s Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture Matthew Yokobosky.
 
The David Bowie “Brooklyn Talks” event will take place at the Brooklyn Museum at 7pm on Thursday, May 17. Tickets are priced at $25 and include museum admission.