![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_16sq.jpg)
Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition
Garments by Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent and Thierry Mugler feature in an exhibition of feathered fashion at Antwerp's Mode Museum.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_14.jpg)
Birds of Paradise. Plumes and Feathers in Fashion at MoMu explores the application of the material through fashion history.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_13.jpg)
The exhibition is split into themed sections showcasing different textures, colours and uses of the material, with a focus on the designers who have adopted it for their apparel.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_12.jpg)
Visitors are greeted by a haute couture gown from Thierry Mugler's Spring Summer 1997 collection, which has bright feathers arranged in patterns like butterfly wings around an open back.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_11.jpg)
Fashion by late British designer Alexander McQueen, whose work heavily featured avian influences, is displayed and provides the poster image for the exhibition.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_10.jpg)
Feathers also feature prominently throughout the work of Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester, who selected silhouettes that highlight her use of the material for the exhibition.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_9.jpg)
"Ever since I was a child I have had an enormous respect for feathers, and especially for pigeon feathers," she said. "To me a pigeon feather is poetry of the mundane, a form of perfection that is to be found on the streets by everyone."
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_15.jpg)
Garments are on show by twentieth-century designers Cristóbal Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, who both covered dresses in feathers during the 1960s.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_6.jpg)
Angelic white dresses covered in fluffy down are contrasted with sinister dark garments in shiny crow feathers by a variety of designers.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_7.jpg)
Sculptures by British artist Kate McGwire are dotted around the space. One large piece titled Gyre is made of crow feathers, often associated with bad luck.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_5.jpg)
A section is dedicated to fans, which were often made from elaborate arrangements of dyed ostrich plumes for use in the courts of Europe.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_1.jpg)
The garments and accessories are accompanied by paintings and taxidermy showing the species that different feathers come from.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_3.jpg)
The history of the plumassier – or feather worker – dating back to seventeenth-century France is also explained.
![Feathers and plumage in fashion celebrated at Antwerp exhibition](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/Birds-of-Paradise-Plumes-and-Feathers-in-Fashion-at-MoMu_dezeen_2.jpg)
The exhibition continues until 24 August 2014.