Bonaveri Magazine

“Today a mannequin standing alone or in a
group in a display setting must be immobile, yet
still capable of dialogue, of telling the viewer
about whatever it is wearing” said the fashion
journalist Gianluca Bauzano “A mannequin
must have a personality and character that is
independent of its covering, whether that be a
dress from an exclusive collection or a costume
from a film or play”.
What may seem obvious today, may not have
been so in the past.
The way we relate to mannequins today is in
no small part due to the ground breaking work
by Diana Vreeland, executive director of Vogue
USA (1963-1971) and special consultant at the
Costume Institute.
Her innovative presentations at the Met
Museum transformed the role of the mannequin.
No longer arranged in a static succession of
dresses, a mannequin was now conceived as
a virtual participant, providing a greater dialogue
between garment, context and viewer.
Bonaveri’s mannequins are imbued with this same
sense of spirit and have intrigued the world’s greatest
couturiers for decades. Their ability to adapt to a
multitude of styles gives every garment undoubted
consequential elegance. For this reason, Bonaveri
is often invited by international organisations to
participate in the exhibitions and retrospectives that
celebrate the best of fashion; the Musée des Arts
Décoratifs in Paris, the MoMu in Antwerp, the Victoria
& Albert Museum in London, the Accademia del Teatro
alla Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Museum in
NY.
Recent exhibitions that feature Bonaveri’s work
include, China - Through the looking glass, Schiaparelli
and Prada: impossible conversations, Punk: Chaos to
couture, CAMP: notes on Fashion. Here, Bonaveri’s
mannequins have been principally chosen to feature
haute couture garments, women’s and men’s clothing,
art and fashion objects.
254
BONAVERI 255
Bonaveri_Magazine_Final_Final.indd 254-255 31/01/2020 10:13