“Fashion as Experiment: The ’60s,” through Sept. 24, Allentown Art Museum, kaleidoscopes more than 100 lively articles of iconic 1960s and early 1970s clothing, accessories and footwear.

From the hippie movement and flower power to the British Invasion, the exhibit is a road trip down memory lane for baby boomers. For younger generations, it’s a riotous treasure of fashion inspiration.

The major exhibit is curated by Claire McRee. It primarily features precious pieces from an extensive fashion collection bequeathed to the museum by author, fashion historian and collector Ellie Laubner.

Laubner, a resident of Allentown, penned the books, “Fashions of the Roaring 20s” and “Collectible Fashions of the Turbulent 1930s.” She recalls the 1960s as a highly-energized time for fashion. She points to the backlash against the older generation’s straight-laced suits, fussy dresses, and teased hair. Indeed, the 1960s was an era spurred by a youth-driven counter-culture opposed to the status quo.

As the decade drew on, the expanding hippie culture continued to merge or contrast with the playful, colorful mod influences from across the pond, London, France and Italy, to take the United States by storm.

Embellished linen shirts, hypnotic textures, and loud flared pants offer nods to exotic faraway lands with kaftans, scarves and hand-crafted leather accessories.

By the late 1960s, Woodstock and the musical “Hair” continued to highlight the fashion revolution. Iconic looks include suede hot pants, men’s suede harlequin platform shoes and a Campbell’s Soup paper mini-dress.

The exhibit concludes with styles by André Courrèges, Emilio Pucci and other European designers and American greats such as Geoffrey Beane, Bonnie Cashin, Ron Chereskin and Vera Neumann.

From the Nehru jacket popularized by the Beatles to stunning Vera pop art silk scarves, Laubner amassed her fashion collection, often one piece at a time, over the decades by artfully plucking important finds from thrift shops and auctions. In the 1980s, thrift shopping was not yet the rage, and Laubner focused on collecting pieces of note, sometimes for as little as 50 cents.

In the end, the genius of experiential fashion is when it is no longer considered experimental. As the fashion cycle spun its wheels, large garment houses in the United States began to roll out watered-down versions of looks, once regarded as revolutionary, to the masses.

“Fashion as Experiment: The ’60s” is supported by The Coby Foundation, Ltd.; Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation, and County of Lehigh. Additional support is provided by Ellie Laubner, Bernard and Audrey Berman Foundation and Leon C. and June W. Holt Endowment.

Admission to the Allentown Art Museum is free thanks to a legacy gift from the Century Fund and lead support from Lehigh Valley Health Network, City Center Allentown and J.B. and Kathleen Reilly

Fashion exhibit programs

“An Afternoon with Ellie Laubner,” 2 p.m. July 29

“Sip & Stitch: Creative time for quilters, knitters and fabric artists,” 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Aug. 5, Sept. 2

Guided tour: “Fashion as Experiment: The ’60s,” 2 - 3 p.m. Aug. 12, 13, 26

“Upcycling Workshop: Embroidery and Visible Mending.” noon - 3 p.m. Aug. 12, 13, Sept. 9, 10

“Fashion as Experiment: The ’60s,” through Sept. 24, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Thursday - Sunday; 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Third Thursdays, Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown, 610-432-4333, https://www.allentownartmuseum.org

Tina Cantelmi is a freelance writer, artist and native of Bethlehem. She was a fashion editor for Women’s Wear Daily in New York City and taught fashion publicity and visual merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology.