Hasta La Ideas

Were we to give an award for the world’s most UnBeige museum, The Wolfsonian would be the easy winner. The wonderfully eclectic Miami institution, a division of Florida International University, didn’t have to look far for the inspiration behind its new summer exhibitions, both of which center around the beach (just a few blocks away). Curated by The Wolfsonian’s Marianne Lamonaca, “Beauty on the Beach: A Centennial Celebration of Swimwear” is a swimwear design retrospective, while “Sun Stroke Stimulus” examines “contemporary bathing culture” through the photographs of Miles Ladin. Both shows are on view through October 11.

(Photos: Miles Ladin)

While the topless number designed in 1964 by Rudi Gernreich is currently raising eyebrows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the full measure of swimsuit history is at The Wolfsonian, where “Beauty on the Beach” explores swimwear design and marketing, and how they shape and reflect popular ideas about fitness, beauty, and glamour. A look at the swimwear industry’s use of new materials (Lastex, anyone?) comes just in time for the current debate about performance-enhancing suits.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.