Adornment

Humans have long been captivated by glittering light and its capacity to draw viewers’ eyes. This section focuses on dazzling adornments applied to the surface of garments, such as sequins, beads, and rhinestones. 
These alluring decorations enhance garments and also facilitate transformation and escapism. The twentieth-century innovations that brought glittering fashion finishes to the masses also resulted in new innovations in self-expression, performance, and even protest. Singers, drag queens, and burlesque stars come to life in glittering clothing under stage lighting. The attention-grabbing, reflective qualities of these embellishments made them staples of 1970s disco and 1990s rave fashions.