‘The Fabulous Universe of Tomo Koizumi’ at the Iberê Foundation, in Porto Alegre
* Please check the Iberê Foundation website before your visit to confirm operating hours and days.
Visit the exhibition with the virtual tour 360º
In an unprecedented partnership with Japan House São Paulo, the Iberê Foundation presents the exhibit “The Fabulous Universe of Tomo Koizumi”, from May 1 to July 11, in Porto Alegre (RS). Conceived by JHSP, the exhibit proposes a perspective of contemporary fashion from the view of an artist who avoids traditional trends and dares with his striking pieces. There are 13 striking creations by young designer Tomo Koizumi, a newcomer at the 2019 New York Fashion Week who has been gaining respect and admiration in the fashion world.
The designer stands out for creations famous for their allure, in unique productions made with 50 m to 200 m of Japanese organza, each with extravagant colors and volumes, representing his universe that is filled with references in traditional arts and Japanese pop culture. With the support of the Consulate General of Japan in Porto Alegre, the initiative to present the works of Tomo Koizumi in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul is part of JHSP’s traveling project, which got underway this year through collaborations with the main Brazilian cultural organizations.
Watch the exhibition presentation video
Born in the Chiba prefecture, the 32-year-old dress designer was discovered by a retail store owner who was delighted with the clothes he produced as a college student. He founded his Tomo Koizumi brand and, before his rise to the international haute couture universe, he worked as a costume designer for several Japanese designers. In 2016, the singer Lady Gaga wore one of his pieces during a visit to Japan. In late 2018, Koizumi’s career took off when his Instagram profile was discovered by Katie Grand (then editor-in-chief of the British magazine LOVE), who was fascinated by his work and organized a show at the 2019 New York Fashion Week with the support of Marc Jacobs and a great team. Tomo Koizumi took his voluminous and colorful dresses to the catwalk, amazing the audience and becoming a highlight in the main media outlets and on social networks around the world.
By means of ten iconic pieces from the designer’s 2019 and 2020 collections, the exhibition reveals the essence of Koizumi’s views. Three exclusive pieces were also created for the show in Brazil, blending references from our Carnival and traditional Japanese kimonos. In addition, the exhibit features a video of Tomo’s latest fashion show, held at the Tokyo Fashion Week, which gives visitors a glimpse of the strength and drama of wearing a piece by the designer.
Finally, intimate clippings of his career and creative process are present in the exhibit space in a mural containing everything from reference images that served as an inspiration for his collections to personal photos taken by the artist himself in recent years.
“Tomo Koizumi is extravagant, surprising, creative, vibrant. His pieces are the perfect meeting place of the intimacy of manual work with glamor, sophistication, and theatricality. To create high-impact pieces, he dives into and blends traditional and popular Japanese sources such as manga, robots, and the Lolita style”, says Natasha Barzaghi Geenen, the Cultural Director of Japan House São Paulo and curator of the exhibit, the project of which was by the office of Metro Arquitetos.
To the Foundation's superintendent, Emilio Kalil, the exhibit will mark the onset of the process of creating the Fashion, Design, and Architecture Department, three new pillars that support the institution. “The Iberê Foundation’s architecture is by Álvaro Siza, awarded the Golden Lion at the 2002 Venice Architecture Biennale; the architect designed its furniture in wood, and it is used by the institution's team and audience, while prints and dresses are signed by Iberê Camargo, in the 1960s. Tomo’s exhibit is the key to giving visibility to this material wealth and to the new department”, says Kalil.
Headquartered on Avenida Paulista, Japan House São Paulo is an institution that presents and disseminates the Japanese culture in its various aspects and, in this new institutional phase, one of its objectives is to highlight geographic expansion as an integration platform for Brazil and all of Latin America. “It is an immense pleasure to be with the Iberê Foundation in this new chapter of its trajectory and to rely on this valuable partnership to bring people in Rio Grande do Sul a little more of today’s Japan”, celebrates Japan House São Paulo President Eric Klug.
Aimed at all ages and with accessibility features such as sign language and audio descriptions, the “The Fabulous Universe of Tomo Koizumi” exhibit promises to captivate both fashion lovers and the public in general, attracted by the views of a young artist who avoids traditional trends and dares in every cut of fabric. A finalist of the LVMH award in February 2020, Tomo Koizumi is now considered one of the leading young designers in Japan and the world, not only for creating dresses international celebrities compete for to appear in gala and red carpet events, but also for daring in pieces that are true works of art.
+ Recall the exhibition ‘The Fabulous Universe by Tomo Koizumi’ at JHSP
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‘The Fabulous Universe of Tomo Koizumi’
When: May 1 to July 11, 2021
Address: Fundação Iberê, Avenida Padre Cacique, 2000 – Porto Alegre
When: From Friday to Sunday, from 2 pm to 7 pm (last access at 6 pm)*
Website: www.iberecamargo.org.br
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fundacaoiberecamargo
Instagram: @fundacaoibere
Visita virtual Google Artes & Culture: https://goo.gl/wYr75v
* Please check the Iberê Foundation website before your visit to confirm operating hours and days.
Cost: Scheduling via Sympla:
- Individual mediated visit: R$ 20,00
- Mediated visit in pairs: R$ 30,00
- Mediated visit in pairs + catalog: R$ 40,00
- Mediated visit in pairs + catalog + parking: R$ 70,00