Narciso Rodriguez Is Getting the Museum Treatment in Miami

The designer's minimalist luxe creations are a perennial favorite of the Hollywood set.

Narciso Rodriguez's body of work is Miami bound.

The designer's thoughtful, modern creations will be featured at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum in a new exhibition titled "Narciso Rodriguez: An Exercise in Minimalism," making it the first solo exhibition for the American designer. The display will also feature never-before-seen archival materials, original sketches, video, and works of art that have influenced Rodriguez's work.

"I am honored to be asked to be part of the celebrated history of exhibitions presented by the Frost Art Museum FIU — and particularly excited to do so during Art Basel Season in Miami," Rodriguez said in a statement.

The exhibition — co-curated by Elle creative director Alex Gonzalez and Frost Art Museum curator Klaudio Rodriguez — will kick off with a private reception on Oct. 8 and then open to the public the following day. It will remain on view through Jan. 8, 2017.

The New Jersey-born creative's minimalist luxe designs are a perennial favorite of the Hollywood set. Julianna Margulies most recently wore a single-shoulder look by Rodriguez to the Accessories Council Excellence Awards. Claire Danes, Emma Watson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw also have worn his dresses. And first lady Michelle Obama is a longtime fan; she wore one of his dresses on Election Night 2008, and another to the final State of the Union address this year.



NARCISO'S LADIES: From left: Julianna Margulies, Michelle Obama and Claire Danes in Narciso Rodriguez designs. (Photos: Getty Images)

After receiving his education at Parsons School of Design, the designer worked at Anne Klein under Donna Karan and Calvin Klein, where he focused on the women's collection. Rodriguez also has had stints at TSE, Cerruti and Loewe.

When he dressed Carolyn Bessette for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996, he achieved worldwide recognition. That simple white satin dress dress worn by Bessette became an icon of '90s fashion, and one of the most famous dresses of all time. A year later, Rodriguez introduced his namesake label in Milan for the spring/summer 1998 season.

The designer has since gone on to receive the CFDA womenswear designer of the year award in 2002 and 2003; he was named one of the "25 Most Influential Hispanics in America" by Time magazine in 2005; and he earned the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award for fashion in 2014.

Now Rodriguez can add the museum treatment to his list of major achievements.