Madonna's Gaultier cone bra. Joan Jett's yellow jumpsuit. Tina Tuner's sparkly mini (and those legs below). The biggest stars of pop and rock music have always used fashion to create iconic visual images, which become indelibly linked with their sound. The National Museum of Women in the Arts has collected those aforementioned historic duds, along with plenty of other iconic wardrobe pieces and memorabilia belonging to the first women to break out in rock music, and created the exhibit Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power, which opens today.
Walk through to soak up inspiration from trailblazers like Wanda Jackson, who broke new ground for women entertainers (and continues to tour and make music 50 years later), along with Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell. Rihanna and other current hit-makers get a nod, and, yes, you can see the infamous meat dress. (Which has been dried, so we're guessing it's technically a jerky dress now?) To celebrate the exhibit opening, the museum is hosting a special Sunday concert by Girls Rock! D.C., a summer camp program that teaches young girls how to play in a band. Who knows — you might just catch a glimpse of the next costume-loving pop icon.
When: Today, September 7, through Sunday, January 6, 2013. Concert on Sunday, September 9, at 2 p.m. Museum hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m.
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW; 202-783-5000.
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW; 202-783-5000.
Photo: Courtesy of National Museum of Women in the Arts