Peter Jensen's Muses

Tonya 2005, Design, Peter Jensen. Foto: Paul Bliss

Press Release
Peter Jensen’s Muses:
Mildred, Tonya, Jytte, Laurie and Muriel
5 August – 30 October 2011

In what way can a frowned ice-skating princess, an aunt in Greenland and an American dollhouse inspire a fashion designer?

Peter Jensen has, throughout his career, built up his collections around a single, particularly charismatic individual, a Muse, who has given time and space to the design.
Design Museum Denmark presents an exhibition of five of these Muses: Mildred, Tonya, Jytte, Laurie and Muriel.
Constructed by Verner Panton’s iconic wire shelving for Montana, the exhibition portrays the five Muses and their different temperaments. There is room here for personality. In addition to clothing and accessories, the exhibition shows photography, sketches, text and a live recording of a love song, sung during a fashion show by Nina Persson of The Cardigans.

Peter Jensen: “Since 2000, I’ve had over 20 different Muses. Throughout the years I’ve perfected a method in which a Muse inspires each design. Behind every single collection, there are many stories.”

The opening of the exhibition will also see the release of a grand retrospective anniversary book, documenting the stories of the many Muses, including the singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, the Danish Queen Christine from the 16th century, photographic artist Cindy Sherman, the legendary art collector Gertrude Stein and the Olympic athlete Olga Korbut. In addition, there will be sections for the fictitious Muses, from Fanny and Aleksander from the Ingmar Bergman film, to Mike Leigh’s Keith and Candice-Marie.

The publication is created by Åbäke, the graphic design team that has worked with Peter Jensen throughout his career, and contains in-depth essays, interviews by design journalists and material from the designer’s own extensive archive of inspirations.

Recordings of Peter Jensen’s shows from Copenhagen, London and New York will also be on show.
The exhibition has been arranged by Line Rosenvinge, and opens on Thursday 4 August in connection with Copenhagen Fashion Week, where the designer will be present.
Peter Jensen (born 1969, Løgstør) trained at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, lives and works in London / www.peterjensen.co.uk

View a selection of press images on Flickr

Peter Jensen. Foto: Paul Bliss

Last updated 11.05.2012