FASHION & FEATHER: A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
Join us on a journey into the elegance and complexity of nature’s most alluring designs—feathers.
Fashion & Feather, a collaborative exhibition by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Kent State University Museum, and the Kent State School of Fashion, explores the intricate beauty, cultural significance, and functional marvels of feathers. Organized by species, including peacocks, ostriches, kingfishers, and roosters, it pairs ornithological specimens and cultural objects from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s collection with feather-adorned garments and accessories from the Kent State University Museum’s world-renowned historic fashion collection, as well as contemporary student designs. Altogether, these displays showcase the vital functions of feathers for avian species, how humans have drawn inspiration from birds for fashion and artistic innovation, and simultaneously emphasize the complex relationship between humans and nature.
Feathers have long mesmerized humans for their stunning colors, elegant movement, and soft textures. Across cultures, they have been incorporated into fashion as plumes on fans, wings on hats, and in delicate jewelry. Yet their use has historically driven bird populations to the brink of extinction, prompting protective laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Today, feathers featured in fashion are mostly derived from domesticated or game birds, such as roosters, peacocks, and pheasants.
In addition to its historic, cultural, and ornithological displays, Fashion & Feather showcases biomimicry-inspired designs by Kent State fashion students, on display in the Museum’s Corning Gallery. Evoking the wild beauty of birds without using any real feathers, these designs engage with questions of sustainability and real-world impact.
Ultimately, the exhibition invites you to wonder at the beauty of birds and their feathers while reflecting on the delicate balance between cultural fascination and conservation—highlighting the intersection of natural history, fashion, and sustainability.
The Museum thanks Supporting Sponsor Cathy Lincoln and Partner Sponsors Dr. Linda L. McDonald, Judith McMillan, and Dr. Michael and Mrs. Catherine Keith.
This exhibition is partly located in the Museum’s Visitor Hall, which is always free to the public. To access the rest of the exhibition in Corning Gallery, purchase a general admission ticket.
