I had a chance to preview the new show at the Indianapolis Museum of Art: "Breaking the Mode", a selection of contemporary fashion from the permanent collection of LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Two curators from LACMA--Kaye Spilker and Sharon Takeda-- offered a slideshow preview of the show and discussed some of the highlights. They used interesting phrases such as "the tyranny of the designer" implying that some designers don't really care what the wearer thinks or how she feels. This tyranny was contrasted with some examples of designers who make allowances for collaboration with the garment's owner, giving playful interactive options that let one customize the fit and appearance according to one's mood, surroundings or climate. Another phrase which caught my attention: "the Hierarchy of Fabric". This outdated concept refers to the fact that women of certain social standing wouldn't be caught dead in muslin or corduroy when the finest silk was de rigeur. While I prefer to admire dresses when women are within them, the show itself was innovatively displayed as the dresses seemed to float like elegant apparitions, suspended from the ceiling by wires. My favorites were the collaborations between designer Issy Miyake and artist Tim Hawkinson, pleated dresses reminiscent of surrealist collaborations between Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli, or perhaps even the folded paper of the surrealist drawing game known as " le cadavre exquis". Or for the sci-fi fans, Thierry Mugler's "Anatomique Computer" black suit jacket with glowing green neon lines which made me want to subscribe to Netflix so I could rent "TRON" and watch it repeatedly. Speaking of sci-fi films, the IMA will screen "The Fifth Element" on May 30th. Jean-Paul Gaultier, who conceived more than 900 costumes for the film, is also featured in the "Breaking the Mode" show. www.imamuseum.org/ "Breaking the Mode" runs from March 16 to June 1, 2008.