TREND FORECAST
SCAD Fash Couples C.Z. Guest and Emily in Paris in Two Exhibitions, Highlighting American Style Iconography and Contemporary Costume Design
SCAD Fash in Atlanta stages two parallel exhibitions—C.Z. Guest: Portrait of an American Style Icon and Emily in Paris: Fashion Without Rules—curated with Max Mara support, linking mid-century American dress with contemp
Two Exhibitions, One Dialogue: C.Z. Guest and Emily in Paris at SCAD Fash
SCAD Fash in Atlanta is staging a compelling convergence of fashion heritage and contemporary costume storytelling through two concurrent exhibitions. On one wall, the wardrobe of C.Z. Guest, the original American fashion icon of the mid-20th century, speaks to a lineage of tailored elegance, socialite influence, and enduring branding synergy with Max Mara. On the opposite orbit, costumes from Netflix’s Emily in Paris, as designed by Marylin Fitoussi, reveal how television-driven fantasy translates into real-world merchandising and consumer perception. Together, the shows explore how identity in fashion is constructed—from a meticulous wardrobe that defined an era to costumes that reframe a character’s defining moments for a modern audience.
Bringing C.Z. Guest and ‘Emily in Paris’ into dialogue allows us to explore how fashion constructs identity and shapes our collective imagination.
Why this matters now: In a retail context, the exhibitions illuminate how brands can harness fashion history to create immersive shopping narratives. The C.Z. Guest display—curated with Max Mara's involvement—offers a blueprint for heritage storytelling that translates into line extensions, capsule collaborations, and in-store activations anchored by archival silhouettes and coat scripts that defined a generation. The Emily in Paris installation reframes costume design as aspirational merchandising—stylized props and wardrobe elements that spark social media resonance and drive demand for “TV-inspired” capsules without becoming costume-heavy nostalgia.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Heritage-driven exhibitions like SCAD Fash’s two-venue program become live ateliers for brands: curate era-defining garments to anchor product storytelling, while pairing with contemporary designers to translate history into current consumer moments.
Max Mara’s role as presenting sponsor across both shows demonstrates how luxury houses can extend influence beyond runway into museum-grade storytelling. The participation includes a preview and a post-event shopping experience, with proceeds supporting SCAD Fash initiatives. This model blends philanthropy with brand amplification, turning exhibitions into a demand-generation engine for heritage-inspired pieces and contemporary silhouettes alike. For merchandisers, it signals a path to integrate archival mood boards into seasonal assortments, using Guest’s wardrobe to inform categories such as tailored suiting, knitwear, and outerwear that resonate with modern luxury consumers.
The filmic dimension of the Emily in Paris component invites media-savvy operators to consider how collaboration with streaming franchises can accelerate consumer engagement. The panel featuring Cornelia Guest with Stefano Tonchi and Giorgio Guidotti highlights a strategy: align costuming with brand narratives in a way that educates visitors on the economics of design—how fabrics, silhouettes, and finishes convey character, status, and modernity. While the Netflix series dramatizes fantasy, the exhibition anchors its lessons in real-world purchasing behavior, where viewers translate on-screen style into aspirational shopping cues.
Beyond the walls of SCAD Fash, the collaboration extends to retail ecosystems: a two-day shopping experience at Saks Fifth Avenue in Phipps Plaza featured Max Mara's fall collection, with a portion of proceeds benefiting SCAD Fash. This live retail activation demonstrates how heritage partnerships can convert institutional storytelling into tangible consumer outcomes, including trial rates for new season product, footfall lift in luxury corners, and elevated brand perception as custodians of fashion history.
For trend forecasters and merchandising leaders, the program offers a test case for how to fuse history with pop-cultural licensing in a way that feels authentic rather than opportunistic. The Guest exhibit anchors a narrative of disciplined tailoring, social status, and a personal brand that outlived its era, while Emily in Paris demonstrates how costume design can drive contemporary consumer curiosity about fabrics, finishes, and silhouettes. The juxtaposition provides a roadmap for brand collaborations, capsule storytelling, and in-store experiences that educate shoppers while entertaining them.