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Armani’s collection floats timelessly upon invisible mannequins.

(Installation view of Giorgio Armani at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 20 October 2000 - 17 January 2001; Photo: Ellen Labenski ©SRGF, NY)

There is a feeling of movement in the way that the clothes are displayed. The uniquely sculpted figures beneath the individual items of clothing allow you to view the exquisite design, textures and quality of craftsmanship without the preconception of who is wearing the clothes.

The mannequins are truly invisible; each garment is treated as a unique art piece. The lighting is directed at each piece with a soft theatrical flair.

Robert Wilson’s display presentation is a far cry from the days of Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York with her trademark mannequins, their heads covered in stockings.

Mannequins have been a sore spot in fashion exhibits at museums which often use the proverbial decapitated mannequins with a piece of neck sticking out, or clunky figures which have nothing to do with the body-type or attitude of the fashion being displayed.

Edward Maedar, former curator of Costume and Textiles at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, worked tirelessly with his team to create appropriate mannequins for the exhibit “An Elegant Art, Fashion and Fantasy in the 18th Century.”

From the bust up the mannequins were custom sculpted by Kent Elofson, a Disney artist.

The faces and arms with a porcelain-like delicacy were patterned after paintings by Bouchere, Watteau, Fragonnard and other 18th century painters.

Human hair wigs by Victoria Wood, were also based on engravings and paintings from the period.

Handmade corsets were constructed for each type of figure; a pre-marriage figure, an “established” woman and an elderly woman.

Contemporary mannequins would not have captured the period.

When displaying contemporary fashion, premiere mannequin companies such as Adel Rootstein of London often collaborate with museums.

Recently when the Museum of Costume: Bath selected its “Dress of Year” by designer Junya Watanabe, Adel Rootstein donated an up-to-date mannequin to display the dress properly.

Mannequins are a silent issue in fashion retrospectives – Wilson dealt with this beautifully and invisibly.

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