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NGV Unveils Westwood|Kawakubo Exhibition Pairing Two Female Design Icons

The showcase draws on punk legacies to present more than 140 garments alongside over 40 works gifted by Rei Kawakubo

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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Rihanna attends the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The National Gallery of Victoria will stage Westwood|Kawakubo at its NGV International venue from December 7, 2025, to April 19, 2026.
  • This marks the first time the gallery has paired two female fashion designers in a single blockbuster exhibition.
  • The lineup includes over 140 designs drawn from NGV’s own holdings alongside loans from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Victoria & Albert Museum and Palais Galliera.
  • Rei Kawakubo has donated more than 40 pieces for the exhibition, significantly expanding the NGV’s fashion collection.
  • Curators will explore shared punk origins by juxtaposing Westwood’s corsetry and mini-crinis with Kawakubo’s abstract constructions.