EXPOSURE
The Power of Being Seen, from Harry Styles to Lady Gaga

Celebrities have become the faces and bodies through which today’s desires, values, and contradictions are expressed. Behind every public appearance lies an unseen process of interpretation and storytelling, led by the stylist — a powerful yet discreet figure who works collaboratively to turn identity, emotion, and intention into image.

Every outfit, every red carpet pose captures a silent dialogue — not without risk — between those who master the art of being seen and those who make it possible, between the body on display and the gaze that frames it.

In EXPOSURE, Belgian stylist Tom Eerebout — known internationally for his collaborations with artists such as Lady Gaga (for whom he curated the now iconic appearance at the Paris Olympics), Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora, and Austin Butler — reveals his world through a selection of creations worn by some of pop culture’s most celebrated figures, including pieces by designers who began their journey in Trieste through ITS Contest.

Through clothes and accessories worn by Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Beyoncé, Madonna, Björk, Gwyneth Paltrow, Damiano David, Kylie Jenner, right through Jenna Ortega and Chappell Roan, EXPOSURE showcases diverse styles and languages, as well as the work of the many designers and fashion houses that have shaped the aesthetics of our time, including participants and finalists of ITS Contest, whose debut works are now part of the museum’s collection.

The exhibition catalogue, edited by Tom Eerebout and Emanuele Coccia, gathers a series of dialogues intertwining philosophy, fashion, and curatorial thought — conversations between the philosopher, the exhibition’s curator, and fashion historian Olivier Saillard: three creative minds brought together by their collaboration with ITS Arcademy.

On display

Clothes worn by

Ashnikko · Austin Butler · Beyoncé · Björk · Chappell Roan · Charli XCX · Damiano David · Emma Corrin · Gwyneth Paltrow · Harry Styles · Jenna Ortega · Julia Fox · Katy Perry · Kylie Jenner · Kylie Minogue · Lady Gaga · Linda Evangelista · Madonna · Nicole Kidman · Noomi Rapace · Rebecca Ferguson · Rita Ora · Amal Clooney

Created by

Ann Demeulemeester, Arturo Obegero, Astrid Andersen, Café Costume, Christian Boaro, Clementine Baldo, Daniel Bosco, Dolce & Gabbana, Florentina Leitner, Giuseppe Zanotti, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Judassime, Justin Smith, Lara Jensen, Luke Brooks, Lurline, Macy Grimshaw, Maiko Takeda, Maison Margiela, Maximilian Raynor, Peter Pilotto & Christopher de Vos, Rebar Aziz, Shilpa Chavan, Thom Browne, Thomasine Barnekow for Schiaparelli, Una Burke*

(* ITS Contest Alumni)

The urban installation EXPOSURE – The Power of Being Seen accompanies the museum exhibition with ten large-scale images displayed along Via Cassa di Risparmio, transforming the heart of Trieste into an open-air museum. The photographs, which explore the relationship between body, dress, and gaze, invite viewers to reflect on the art of being seen and on the narrative power of the image — extending beyond the walls of ITS Arcademy the same energy and theatrical intensity that animate its exhibition spaces.