Trousers

Susanne Bartsch|Richard Torry

ca. 1984 · linen, synthetic · Costume Institute

The colorful mix of materials and their provocative combination in these pants evoke the extravagant, celebratory spirit of the 1980s. The red satin-lined front pockets and contrasting V-shaped insertions at the back pockets create a tactile and body-conscious appearance. Richard Torry, who worked for iconoclastic designer Vivienne Westwood before starting his own label in the early 1980s, would eventually leave fashion design to team up with avant garde performer Leigh Bowery in 1993 to form the musical group, Minty. Susanne Bartsch was a prominent figure in 1980s New York nightlife; her Soho boutique carried designs by both Torry and Westwood, as early work by John Galliano.

Artist

Susanne Bartsch|Richard Torry

Date

ca. 1984

Medium

linen, synthetic

Culture

British

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mark Isaacson, 1992