COLUMBIA, Mo.—Fashion is a circus. That’s the theme of the Stephens College Museum and Research Library’s exhibit “The Greatest Show on Earth: Fashion Circus.” The exhibit, which runs Sept. 10-Dec. 15, 2011, will feature a parade of fashions as interpreted by museum curators: Monica McMurry, director; Jennifer Cole, curatorial assistant; and Bradley Meinke, guest curator. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10, from noon-3 p.m. in the gallery.

Under the “big top” of fashion (the Historic Costume Gallery, located on the mezzanine level of Lela Raney Wood Hall, 6 N. College Ave.), visitors will see main attractions, including The Grandstand, where historical exoticism meets couture; The Calliope and Side Show groupings that are not for the faint of heart, but rather take one to the zany side of life; Caged Animals, which shows the ferocity of fashion through animal prints and furs; and Le Cirque, a collection of designer garments to counter balance the absurdity of the side show.

“Fashion Circus is about the excitement and masquerade of dressing to please others and ourselves,” said Monica McMurry, director of the Costume Museum and Research Library and dean of the School of Design and Fashion at Stephens. “We also are highlighting those in fashion who are the risk-takers, rule breakers and renegades. Those we might call the ring-leaders.”

“Fashion Circus” is free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are 12-3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday. Special tours can be scheduled for groups of five or more. For more information, contact Jennifer Cole, assistant curator, at (573) 876-7220. Visit www.stephens.edu/cmrl for more information.

All items on display are part of the Matilda Magnus Price Historic Fashion Collection, a working collection of approximately 13,000 garments and accessories from a variety of donors dating back to the 1700s.

Stephens College, established in 1833, is historically committed to meeting the changing needs of women. Stephens prepares students to become leaders and innovators in a rapidly changing world, and engages lifelong learners in an educational experience characterized by intellectual rigor, creative expression and professional practice.

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