When Dustin Hoffman won his Academy Award in 1980 for Kramer vs. Kramer, he famously remarked on Oscar's unclad state ― but for the sword the statuette holds. That said, for many viewers, Oscar is still all about clothes, whether it's red-carpet fashions or the moment when the award is given for Costume Design. Each Oscar season (the show is February 27 this year), the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles honors movie costuming in the exhibit The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design. This year's selection includes 125 costumes from 25 films, from Alexander to The Alamo (some of last year's are shown at right). In an era of high-profile "wardrobe malfunctions," it's great to see costumes that did their jobs without a hitch. ― MATTHEW JAFFE
And the winner is...
The exhibit runs Jan 31-Apr 23 (10-4 Mon-Sat; free; FIDM Galleries, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles; www.fashionmuseum.org or 213/624-1200).
