James Galanos retrospective debuts at the Phoenix Art Museum

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Aug 22, 2017

Following his death in October 2016, the designer has received a retrospective of his work at the Phoenix Art Museum, which opened on Sunday. The exhibition will run until January of 2018.

 
The Phoenix Art Museum’s “A Tribute to James Galanos” runs from August 20 until January 7. The exhibition will feature more than 40 pieces from the designer, some on loan from private collections and some donated personally by the designer to the museum in 1990. The selection, curated by the Dorrance curator of fashion design Dennita Sewell, will include pieces worn by the likes of Nancy Reagan.
 
Throughout a career that spanned more than 50 years, James Galanos dressed both celebrities and royalty, with a clientele that included the Duchess of Windsor, Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Diana Ross. Galanos developed a relationship with Nancy Reagan when she was First Lady of California, and dressed her during her time in the White House as well.

Galanos continued to work until 1998, producing all of his clothes in Los Angeles. He died on October 30, 2016 at the age of 92. His work was also the subject of a retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum in 1997.