Colorwear: A Kaleidoscope of Fashion 

April 15, 2026 — August, 15, 2027

Kelly Ellman Fashion galleries

Arranged across a runway of vibrant hues, this exhibition reveals how North American and European designers, including Hubert de Givenchy, Olivier Lapidus, Tina Leser and Giorgio di Sant'Angelo, have used color as a source of inspiration. In addition to luscious gowns and sparkling dresses, the exhibition features some of the smallest and most extraordinary objects in the Museum’s fashion holdings, such as Judith Leiber pillboxes encased in multihued crystals, psychedelic scarves, and shoes that evoke the golden tones of an Egyptian burial or the bold explosion of graffiti paint. From couture to ready-to-wear, Colorwear immerses you in the power of color as storytelling, mood, and creative expression. Alongside the kaleidoscopic array of Colorwear, visitors can also discover objects that tell the history of fashion at PhxArt, from historic accessories to rare and avant-garde examples from the archival collections, and new acquisitions by contemporary designers such as The Son of Picasso, a Native American artist of Kiowa, Taos Pueblo, Diné (Navajo), and Delaware descent. 

This riotous celebration of color continues throughout the year with rotating ensembles and an upcoming catalogue that features contributions from fashion historians and Dressed: The History of Fashion podcast hosts April Calahan and Cassidy Zachary. 

EXHIBITION SPONSORS

Colorwear: A Kaleidoscope of Fashion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion at Phoenix Art Museum and Summer Rye, Fashion Curatorial Assistant & ACI Liaison.

The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance and Arizona Costume Institute.

All fashion exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by The Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund and The Thomas Carlton Rogers II Fashion Exhibition Fund.

All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.

Image Credits:

Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli, “Gold-Toe” stilettos, 2024 (detail). Leather, silk satin, and formed metal. Museum Purchase with funds provided by The Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund