SCAD FASH, a new addition to Savannah College of Art and Design, is a 10,000-square-foot museum dedicated to fashion. SCAD FASH opened with its inaugural exhibition, Oscar de la Renta, October 3. This exhibit commemorates the exquisite artistic designs of the late stylist Oscar de la Renta, while also featuring work of the designer Peter Copping, who de la Renta personally selected to lead the brand into a new era. The museum plans to feature guest speakers and films to welcome fashion from around the world.
   At the entrance of the museum stands an elegant silk embroidered dress worn by Taylor Swift herself to the “Charles James: Beyond The Fashion” Metropolitan Museum of Art costume institute gala. The exhibition features over 60 garments created by de la Renta, many designed personally for close friends and family, as well as clothing worn by a-list celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Laura Bush, all of which are displayed throughout the museum. In addition, the works of Peter Copping’s fall 2015 show are included to give a glimpse of the de la Renta brand under a new designer. Copping’s designs match de la Renta’s style while adding new elements, including intricately twisting fabric and subtle places that show skin. It was interesting to see how Copping has taken on the brand but remained consistent to de la Renta’s design ways.
  As you make your way through the exhibit, SCAD FASH has knowledgeable attendants that can answer any questions and go further in depth about the details of each dress. The exhibit has a very intimate feel because of how closely you can view each dress to really examine the true complexity each possesses. Each section of the museum has a different mood that goes along with the dresses it displays, all conjured by the projections, lights and mirrors that highlight the feeling. It also features a short film, Ovation for Oscar chronicling the work of SCAD student Sloane Mayberry) and the museum’s staff as they prepare the first posthumous museum tribute to Oscar de la Renta. The setup that SCAD FASH has created is an elegant commemoration for the late designer.