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Clothing As Culture: Second Skin Exhibit Opens In October At Southampton Arts Center
From Warhol to Martine Gutierrez, this ambitious new show proves fashion is more than ornament—it’s politics, power and personal armor.
The Southampton Arts Center (SAC) is having a moment—or maybe a year.
Last fall SAC drew serious critical buzz with Heroines of the Abstract Expressionist Era. This October, it’s serving up Second Skin, a sharp, fashion-forward exhibition that treats clothing as political weapon, cultural memory and personal armor.
Second Skin Opening Reception: Oct. 11
On view Oct. 4 through Dec. 28, with an opening reception on Oct. 11, the show brings together about 30 works—from the 1950s to today—curated by internationally recognized Latin American art scholar and curator Estrellita B. Brodsky.
Expect photography, sculpture, textiles and wearable objects, including prints from Martine Gutierrez’s acclaimed Indigenous Woman and rare Andy Warhol works on paper from the Jordan D. Schnitzer Foundation.
Don’t expect runway models in high-concept couture or voluminous puffed sleeves of embellished satin. The curation goes beyond fashion as mere ornament or superficial decoration.
Clothing As Identity
Conceived as a sequel to Guild Hall’s 2024 textile survey Spin a Yarn, Second Skin zeroes in on fashion as a lived, political site. The show explores how clothing is inextricably linked to identity—whether constructed, resisted, commodified or reclaimed.
“Garments don’t just cover the body—they shape identity and spark cultural discourse,” says Southampton Arts Center Executive Director Christina M. Strassfield.
Three galleries examine clothes as identity markers, protective shields and global commodities. Artists such as Felix Baudry and Nazareth Pacheco craft garments as armor against violence, while Joiri Minaya and Stephanie Syjuco remix tropical prints and ethnic patterns to challenge colonial tropes and the fashion industry’s beauty standards.
“It is an honor to partner with Southampton Arts Center and bring the spotlight to artists from Latin America within a global context,” Brodsky says.
Exhibit Details:
“Second Skin,” opens with a reception Saturday, October 11, 5–7 p.m. at The Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane and runs Fridays–Sundays, noon–5 p.m. through December 28. Admission is free. southamptonartscenter.org