New Atlanta fashion museum opens with Oscar de la Renta show

This October 2015 photo provided by the SCAD FASH museum in Atlanta shows a black-and-white gown with a criss-cross design on the back designed by Oscar de la Renta for Sarah Jessica Parker. The museum is located on the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The museum's opening exhibition shows more than 80 designs by de la Renta, including gowns worn by Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Oprah. (SCAD via AP) This October 2015 photo provided by the SCAD FASH museum in Atlanta shows a black-and-white gown with a criss-cross design on the back designed by Oscar de la Renta for Sarah Jessica Parker. The museum is located on the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The museum's opening exhibition shows more than 80 designs by de la Renta, including gowns worn by Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Oprah. (SCAD via AP)

By Associated Press October 13, 2015 4 min read

ATLANTA (AP) – A new museum focusing on international fashion has opened in Atlanta.

The first exhibition at SCAD FASH features more than 80 Oscar de la Renta designs and opened to the public this month on the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The pieces come from the school’s permanent collection and donations from collectors and celebrities who worked with de la Renta before his death in 2014.

De la Renta was a frequent donor to SCAD’s collections and the natural choice for the opening, said Laurie Ann Farrell, executive director of museums and exhibitions and curator of the showing. She hopes visitors whether casual observer or devoted student will learn something about design.

“Everybody selects their clothes as one way of signifying their identity,” Farrell said. “Even if somebody doesn’t consider themselves a fashion aficionado, I think they can come in and be inspired by what different designers have done through the years.”

The pieces on display in Atlanta until Dec. 31 cover decades of work, from a 1965 black cashmere dress with a white satin collar and waist bow to a silk color-block gown designed by creative director Peter Copping for fall 2015 and worn at the Emmy awards by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.