Silent Luxury

Fashion has long defined itself through immaculate silhouettes, refined textures, and unblemished purity. Luxury was synonymous with surfaces that erased any trace of reality.

Yet since the 1980s, a counter-movement has emerged: dirt, decay, and deliberate imperfection have become aesthetic tools. What began as a critique of established beauty ideals has evolved into an exploration of transience, spirituality, and ecological responsibility. These themes gain urgency in an era of climate change and overproduction.

"Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion", the recently opened exhibition at the Barbican Centre (25 September 2025 to 25 January 2026), takes this evolution as its starting point for a comprehensive survey. Curated by Karen Van Godtsenhoven and Jon Astbury, the show presents over one hundred looks from more than 60 designers across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The designers range from established figures such as Vivienne Westwood and Hussein Chalayan, to a new generation including Elena Velez, Paolo Carzana, and IAMISIGO. The exhibition juxtaposes the Barbican's brutalist architecture with motifs of decay, inviting visitors to view "dirt" not as a flaw but as a metaphor for regeneration and resistance. Here, fashion serves as a mirror to human existence: born of the earth, shaped by time, and part of a perpetual cycle.

Let's take a first short tour through the exhibition.

The Poetics of Transience

The exhibition opens with Hussein Chalayan's "Future Archaeology" (1993–2002). The Turkish-Cypriot designer, a Central Saint Martins graduate, developed a method that treats clothing as an organic process. For his degree collection "The Tangent Flows" (1993), Chalayan buried garments with iron filings in a friend's London garden. Exhumed months later, they bore marks of oxidation and discolouration. This was the result of a simulated transformation through time and matter.

This technique continued in collections such as "Temporary Interference" (Spring/Summer 1995): a dress treated with copper filings and buried near the Thames acquired an intense green hue. In "Map Reading" (Autumn/Winter 2001), chiffon took on a wood-like quality after burial, with corroded sequins evoking time's passage. The culmination came in "Medea" (Spring/Summer 2002), where Chalayan disrupted linear time, stating: "A wish or curse that propels the garment and its wearer through historical periods, like a fall through the sediments of an archaeological dig". Presented in an immersive installation, these pieces transcend aesthetics to address life cycles. Chalayan's buried garments underscore that fashion, like humanity, originates from the earth and returns to it. This is a provocative notion in the fast-fashion era.

Nostalgia of Mud

The term "Nostalgia of Mud," which describes a longing for the mud, runs as a leitmotif through the exhibition. Coined by the French playwright Émile Augier in 1855 and popularised by Tom Wolfe's essay "Radical Chic" (1970), it describes a romantic turn towards the rustic and primitive as a counter to industrialised modernity.

Exemplifying this are the personalised Hunter wellington boots of supermodel Kate Moss (c. 2000), worn on Glastonbury's muddy fields, and the rubber boots from Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe (c. 1960), lent by King Charles III. These objects illustrate the yearning for a bond with nature – whether at festivals or on walks. This stands as a contrast to digital daily life.

In fashion, this manifested prominently in 1982 with Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's "Nostalgia of Mud" collection. Drawing on references from ancient togas to sheepskins and forms of indigenous Latin American dress, they aimed to evoke "the roots of our culture in primitive societies". Today, with greater sensitivity to cultural appropriation, this nostalgia persists in motifs like bogs and folklore, serving as a critique of mass production and digitisation. The exhibition expands on this: Issey Miyake's Spring/Summer 1983 collection employs mud-dyed textiles in traditional Japanese techniques, drawing on wabi-sabi principles of imperfection. Maison Margiela's Autumn/Winter 2006 looks simulate ruins, while Alexander McQueen's "Eshu" (Autumn/Winter 2000) weaves earthy narratives. Miguel Adrover's "Birds of Freedom" (Autumn/Winter 2001), hand-painted on Egyptian cotton buried by the Nile, addresses beauty and colonialism.

Romantic Ruins and Spectral Traces

In the upper galleries, "Romantic Ruins" delves into the fascination with decay: creations such as Alexander McQueen's tattered garments or Paco Rabanne's metallic fragments resemble relics. "Spectres of Dirt" examines traces of the impure. This ranges from Jean Paul Gaultier's stain patterns to Rick Owens' earth-bound designs. "Stains as Ornament" elevates stains to design elements. Marine Serre's upcycled materials turn waste into luxury, while Dilara Findikoglu's works explore bodily impurities. "Leaky Bodies" addresses the "dirtiness" of the body itself. Michaela Stark's sex-positive designs, in a dedicated installation, celebrate queerness and fluidity. "Glittering Debris" contrasts lustre with remnants. Robert Wun's burnt silk gowns from "Time" (Autumn/Winter 2023) and "Fear" (Spring/Summer 2023) evoke ephemerality.

Elemental Creation and Renewal

In the lower level, "Elemental Creation" focuses on regenerative approaches. Yuima Nakazato's "Dust to Dust" transforms waste into cyclical designs. IAMISIGO's clay-dyed barkcloth (Spring/Summer 2024) reconnects with African traditions. Elena Velez's "The Longhouse" (Spring/Summer 2024) concludes with a mud-wrestling finale symbolising conflict and renewal. Paolo Carzana's "Trilogy of Hope" (2024–2025) features hand-dyed organic fabrics. Solitude Studios submerges cloths in Danish bogs, where they are altered by microorganisms. This references ancient rituals. Alice Potts' biomaterial works and Ma Ke's "The Earth" (2006–2007), from recycled materials, complement the themes.

A Call to Reflection

"Dirty Looks" extends beyond provocative fashion: it highlights the industry's status as the world's third-largest polluter and advocates for alternatives like upcycling and regenerated textiles. Incorporating indigenous and decolonial perspectives, it emphasises a return to authenticity. In a digital age, the exhibition recalls the regenerative potential of fashion. Visitors traversing the Barbican's spaces encounter not just decay, but possibilities for renewal.

Where to find:

Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS.
Open daily
25th September 2025 - 25th January 2026
Further details: barbican.org.uk