Dressing for Excess | Daphne Guinness at F.I.T.

It’s tempting to dismiss the “Daphne Guinness” exhibition at the Museum at F.I.T., which features the extraordinary wardrobe of one of the fashion world’s most visible eccentrics, as an attempt to cash in on the public’s appetite for narcissistic excess. But the truth is that the pint-size brewery heiress’s passion for design is not only inimitably extreme, it’s completely sincere. Her funds might run as deep as her walk-in closets, but unlike countless other couture clotheshorses, Guinness doesn’t fetishize fashion as a status symbol. Instead, over the years, she has developed a sartorial persona that’s one part Victorian damsel, one part sci-fi geisha and 100 percent off-the-wall.

The exhibit, well-stocked with looks by Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Gareth Pugh and Azzedine Alaïa, is divided into six sections. The first, “Dandyism,” showcases masculine styles, with a variety of tailored, cropped jackets, while “Armor” features “protective” pieces, including a nail-embedded suit and a silver ribbon dress and hooded coat. There is a selection of elegant cocktail suits and draped jersey evening gowns, titled, respectively, “Chic” and “Evening Chic.” “Exoticism” and “Sparkle,” on the other hand, are full of the flamboyant ensembles that Guinness often favors for big public events. There are occasional forays into color and print, but sculptural silhouettes in a severe palette of black, white and metallic ultimately take center stage. One of the chicest pieces on display is also the simplest: a black wool crepe suit from Chanel Couture, with perfectly fitted shoulders and a slight flare, the underskirt subtly dusted with hollow metallic sequins.

While the mannequins’ Cruella de Vil-streaked heads are a fun touch, they also underline the show’s surface appeal. It would be nice if there were more information provided about the narrative behind each piece — the context in which it was worn, the year it was created, why it spoke to Guinness. Despite the show’s shortcomings, her intentions in agreeing to participate were honorable. After resisting invitations, Guinness was finally convinced when it was pointed out to her how meaningful the show would be for fashion students. She says, it’s “intended for [them], to see the inside of seams, how the construction was done. There’s a new generation that might not have been able to see [these techniques] yet.”

Discussing the show’s reception, Guinness observed that, “some people will like it, some people will hate it. And as many who will like it will hate it for the same reasons.” What makes it worth seeing is Guinness’s larger-than-life commitment to self-expression. As long as Guinness is around, however, fans of fierce individualism can breathe a sigh of relief. As Guinness puts it: “Sometimes on a shoot, people will want me to wear something that just isn’t me, and I can’t do it. … I can’t be anything but myself.”

“Daphne Guinness” is at the Museum at FIT through Jan. 7, 2012.