FIT exhibit honors 'collector of couture' Daphne Guinness

Fashion icon and muse Daphne Guinness is not just another clothes horse. Not only has she held sway over several designers, but she has also made her mark on the industry as a "collector of couture." And that is precisely why her own personal wardrobe is the subject of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology's latest exhibit.

Longtime friend of late powerhouse designer Alexander McQueen, Guinness showcases dozens of designs from top-tier brand names, including Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana and McQueen himself at the new exhibit.

Guinness' pieces are arranged into six categories: "Dandyism," "Armor," "Chic," "Evening Chic," "Exoticism" and "Sparkle" — each dedicated to a specific aspect of personal style and each with its own display of roughly 15 pieces styled into six complete looks.

"Dandyism" features velvety military Christian Dior jackets, Elizabethan-style blouses from Valentino and Azzedine Alaia and tulle ruffs by Alexander McQueen. The inspiration for the theme was her love of menswear and Shakespearean cross-dressing. But Guinness' delicate blouses and feminine brooches do not sacrifice edginess; rather, it presents itself in sharp-silhouetted blazers aand ultra-modern heel-less platform shoes.

"Armor" — comprised of pieces from traditional designers such as Alexander McQueen and avant-garde artists like Gareth Pugh — was based on Guinness' love of the color and protectiveness of armor. One standout piece from the line is a McQueen cocktail dress constructed out of wire and wood.

Containing tailored Chanel tweed fit for a first lady, "Chic" is defined by a wool crepe Balenciaga dress complete with matching wool buttons. Its counterpart, "Evening Chic," displays Audrey-Hepburn-worthy little black dresses, 1920s-inspired beaded gowns and a Grecian McQueen gown, complete with rhinestone-encrusted bodice and an angelic chiffon-gauze overlay.

Guinness said part of what drove her to craft these collections was a need to deviate from duller earth tones.

"Fashion today is becoming more beige," she once lamented.

And her desire to stray from that trend is evident through "Exotic" and "Sparkle."

While "Exotic" showcases a McQueen fuchsia, ombre kimono, which Guinness famously wore to Russian model Natalia Vodianova's White Ball, "Sparkle" embodies a little more glitz and glamor. The theme focuses on a Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel gown, dripping in pearly sequins with white feather cuffs and epaulets. The most spectacular piece, though, is a McQueen bubble-gum-colored silk cape gown, embellished with intricate silk embroidery depicting exotic birds, elaborate flowers and regal butterflies.

The exhibit runs until Jan. 7, 2012.