Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion, 1920–1980 (At RISD)

Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion, 1920-1980 is the first multi-disciplinary exhibition to explore the social ritual of the cocktail hour through the lens of fashion and design. Organized by the RISD Museum of Art’s Department of Costume and Textiles, Cocktail Culture features stunning fashion apparel from Balenciaga to Schiaparelli, jewelry, textiles, decorative and fine art, film, photographs, and more. More than 220 objects are included, drawn from the Museum’s vast holdings and loans from other museums and private collections.

Related Programs

Cocktail Connected Design/ Sunday, April 17, 2 pm / Chace Center Galleries
Matthew Bird (RISD BFA 1989), owner of The Curatorium and critic in RISD’s Industrial Design Department, considers the design impact of cocktail consumption through barware and home entertaining accessories. Free with museum admission.

Cocktail Fashion/ Friday, May 13, 12:15 pm / Chace Center Galleries
Lorraine Howes, professor emerita of apparel design at RISD, explores fashion trends and styles through from the 1920s to 80s. Free with museum admission.

Film Series: Cocktail Culture on the Silver Screen
Haute couture costumes and lavish sets fill the big screen during monthly screenings of classic and celebrated films highlighting cultural moments considered in the exhibition Cocktail Culture. The films, introduced by Tom Roberts, RISD professor of history, are free and co-sponsored by Cable Car Cinema.

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston / Thursday, April 21, 6:30 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
This documentary chronicles the life and career of Halston the iconic American fashion designer who reigned as the dissolute king of 1970s NYC nightlife. Featuring interviews with clients and friends, including Liza Minnelli, Billy Joel and André Leon Talley. (2009/90 min./not rated)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie / Thursday, May 19, 7 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
In Luis Buñuel's deliciously satiric, Oscar-winning masterpiece, an upper-class sextet sits down to dinner but never eats, their attempts repeatedly thwarted by a vaudevillian mixture of events both actual and imagined. A timeless satire about consumerism and class privilege. (1972/100 min./Parental Guidance suggested)

Funny Face / Thursday, June 16, 6:30 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
Fred Astaire plays a fashion photographer, based on Richard Avedon (the designer of the opening title sequence), in this musical co-starring Audrey Hepburn as a newly discovered, reluctant fashion model. (1957/100 min./not rated)

Auntie Mame/ Thursday, July 21, 6 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
Rosalind Russell as larger-than-life Mame Dennis, who unexpectedly gains custody of her young nephew Patrick in 1920s New York. As Patrick grows, he learns to live by Auntie Mame’s motto: “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” (1958/140 min./not rated)

Cocktail Culture Classes/ RISD
Continuing Education offers courses inspired by the stunning fashions on view in Cocktail Culture. Fine Sewing Techniques for Apparel (12 sessions, March 3-May 26, Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm) is designed for the sewer who wants to take their skills to the next level. Dressing for Drinking: The Cocktail’s Place in Fashion History (6 sessions, April 7-May 19, 6:30-9:30 pm) focuses on the history of cocktail attire, as well as the accompanying changes in the social landscape through the 1920s to '80s. The Art of Shopping for Vintage Clothing (1 session, Wednesday, May 18, 6:30-8:30 pm) helps students cultivate their own sense of style while gaining valuable skills in buying and collecting vintage clothing and accessories. Museum members receive a 10% discount on Continuing Education classes. Learn more and register.