Must See at the Glenbow: Worn to Be Wild

If you find the idea of visiting the museum to be a dull and lackluster experience, then you haven’t been to the Glenbow lately. Worn To Be Wild is anything but boring, paying tribute to one of the sexiest and most iconic things in our collective fashion conscious: the leather jacket. The exhibit starts with a collection of leather jackets to try on for show and a shiny blue Harley Davidson to throw your leg over for a photo op, which makes the experience that much more fun. 

The story of leather jackets is really fascinating, especially when you look at how this practical accessory has became a mainstay in pop culture, simultaneously representing marginalization, couture and the epitome of ‘cool’. 

As you round the first corner, you find an early collection of memorabilia during the age of the World Wars when leather jackets were worn predominantly by military fighter pilots and motorcycle enthusiasts who valued the jackets more for functional elements than their aesthetic. However, practicality was quickly replaced in 1953 when Marlon Brando rolled in on a Triumph bike, sporting a Perfecto jacket and a very bad attitude in the film “The Wild Ones.” James Dean and Elvis took note and the age of the leather-clad bad boy became the new rage with hoods and greasers creating hysteria in pulp fiction, magazines and films.

With each new decade it seemed like another group of society was using the leather jacket to represent their own values, image and ideals, from the working class of Britain in the 60s to the punk scene of the 80s and 90s, and even the runway shows of Gauthier and Versace. Whatever you take away from Worn To Be Wild, you’ll love the 50-plus leather jackets on display including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s from “Terminator 2” and Fergie’s impossibly skimpy ensemble from one of her performances.

This fantastic collection will be on display until May 4th and, as an added bonus, you can also check out Bryan Adams’ Exposed photo exhibit in the neighbouring gallery space of the Glenbow, which is also up until May 4th. Exposed includes never seen before snapshots of celebrities like Linsday Lohan, Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn and Amy Winehouse.  

#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)

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