Brassiere

Rudi Gernreich|Exquisite Form

ca. 1967 · synthetic · Costume Institute

Never one to follow the crowd, Rudi Gernreich designed fashion that was shocking as well as ground breaking. Working predominately in knitwear, he later included vinyl and plastics. His designs promoted a "freeing" of the body as well as unified fashion. His "monokini" or topless bathing suit design of 1964 made headlines, bringing his fashions into the spotlight. Following this was a series of innovations, such as the "pubikini", the thong bathing suit, and the collection of "UNISEX" garments. As a designer, Gernreich consistently challenged the boundaries of fashion. The "no bra" from his "no" collection, made of transparent net (sans wire) liberated the wearer. Introduced when bras were often not worn for political purposes in addition to their confining discomfort, the "no bra" gave women the option to wear a transparent layer beneath her clothes. A provocative and futuristic look then, the bra brought much attention to the young designer.

Artist

Rudi Gernreich|Exquisite Form

Date

ca. 1967

Medium

synthetic

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the estate of Marye E. Murphy, 1972