Fashion in Film Festival: If Looks Could Kill

Curated by Marketa Uhlirova and David Schwartz, with Associate Curator Christel Tsilibaris

From stolen pearls to a glove left at the scene of the crime, from an excess of red lipstick to the postmodern gangster silhouette, If Looks Could Kill explores the compelling links between cinema, television, fashion, crime, and violence. Tackling themes such as disguise, desire, and the corruption of beauty, the festival features a string of underworld characters and their prosecutors whose highly effective costume, styling, and sartorial gestures helped define cinematic genres from detective to thriller, gangster, film noir, and horror. This is the third collaboration between the London-based Fashion in Film Festival and the Museum.

Fashion in Film is an exhibition, research, and education project based at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. The festival is supported by the London College of Fashion. Special thanks to Lorraine Gamman.