HATS: AN ANTHOLOGY BY STEPHEN JONES February 24, 2009

V&A Image

I love the spring shows that the V&A puts on every year and I have been waiting excitedly for the ‘Hats: an anthology by Stephen Jones’ which opened today. As Stephen himself puts it: “A hat makes clothing identifiable, dramatic – and most importantly Fashion…It is the cherry on the cake, the dot on the ‘i’, the exclamation mark, the fashion focus. Everyone from showgirls to dictators knows that by wearing a hat they will be the centre of attention“. Couldn’t agree more Stephen. Call or book tickets in advance to avoid the lines. I am suspecting this will be a blockbuster and must-see for the fashionistas. The show is up until May 31, 2009.

Fashion V Sport at the V & A Museum October 15, 2008

I just viewed the Fashion V Sport exhibition at the V&A Museum in London. Is all about how sportswear has become an essential part of our wardrobes, how it has translated into a fashion statement, and how it has integrated into high-end design and high street shopping. Interesting idea and some good exhibits, however I would have liked some more history, more clothes instead of trainers, and possibly some more audiovisual enhancement. After all this is the 21st century… Check it out as it is up until January 4, 2009. For info click here.

The Return of the Superhero May 5, 2008

Have you ever had the urge to dress up as Bat-Girl or Wonder Woman even if Halloween is over? Apparently you are not the only one…If the answer is yes, go check out the Superheroes exhibition opening on May 7, 2008 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They promise to please the eye and to explain why people go crazy about superhero fashion. And as the Museum’s website puts it: ‘ the superhero serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion and its ability to empower and transform the human body’. That sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Just don’t start dressing up as a Super Girl all the time. It is only for special occasions…

For information: www.metmuseum.org

Richard Avedon: Photographer of Influence at the Phoenix Art Museum January 14, 2008

Homage to Munkacsi. Carmen, coat by Cardin, Place François-Premier, Paris, August 1957, Richard Avedon. © 2007 The Richard Avedon Foundation. Courtesy The Richard Avedon Foundation.

One of my favorite things to do is traveling and while at it, visit Museums. And when a Museum has a show about fashion, that is a double treat. For those of you that are planning to visit Phoenix any time soon, make sure to check out the Phoenix Art Museum, as from Jan 12 – April 13, 2008, there is a terrific exhibition about Richard Avedon. A few years back I saw an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art about Avedon and it was fantastic, so my appetite for more Avedon shows is huge. Check this out from the Phoenix Art Museum’s website:

‘Richard Avedon’s career as a fashion and portrait photographer spanned nearly seven decades in the 20th century and just into the 21st, leaving an indelible impression on American culture. The early years of Avedon’s prolific career were spent photographing the era’s leading models in designer clothing for magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. For his signature portraiture style, Avedon placed his subject in front of a spare white background, drawing a viewer’s attention to the posture, expression, and gestures of the people he photographed. This exhibition includes both his early fashion photographs as well as powerful and revealing portraits of actors, politicians, artists, writers and intellectuals.‘

CHRISTIAN LACROIX, OTHERWISE June 23, 2007

Lacroix shoes at Zappos.com
‘Paaaaaaris in the spriiiing time…., Paaaaaaris in the fall….’ I am getting organized for a trip across the Atlantic, and going shopping for the perfect cashmere jacket to go over my new silk shiffon dress and my cute lace-up platforms which revive the 1920s but feel so 2007!

While in Paris and between visiting fabulous boutiques, strolling at Le Mare and eating bons-bons, I’ll make sure not to miss the upcoming exhibition of Chistian Lacroix at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile : EXHIBITION
CHRISTIAN LACROIX, OTHERWISE, from November 8, 2007 – April 6, 2008

From the Museum’s website: ‘The Museum invited Christian Lacroix to become the curator and historian he wanted to be when he studied art history at the Ecole de Louvre before embarking on his internationally acclaimed career in haute couture. For over a year, he immersed himself in the museum’s collections of costumes and accessories. The result is an atypical exhibition in which Christian Lacroix gives us his own personal vision of the history of fashion. For a few months the garments he selected from a heritage stretching back over several centuries will encounter the haute-couture creations of one of the greatest names of French fashion’.

Oh la-la! Can’t wait!

Poiret: King of Fashion – At the Metropolitan Museum June 23, 2007

Fashionistas and Fashion lovers everywhere! This is an exhibition no one who is visiting NYC should miss. This is beautiful show and closes on August 5, 2007, so you still have about a month and a half to make plans for a visit to the Met.

From the Met website: ‘In the annals of fashion history, Paul Poiret (1879–1944), who called himself the “King of Fashion,” is best remembered for freeing women from corsets and further liberating them through pantaloons. However, it was Poiret’s remarkable innovations in the cut and construction of clothing, made all the more remarkable by the fact that he could not sew, that secured his legacy. Working the fabric directly onto the body, Poiret helped to pioneer a radical approach to dressmaking that relied more on the skills of drapery than on those of tailoring. Focusing on his technical ingenuity and originality, the exhibition explores Poiret’s modernity in relation to and as an expression of the dominant discourses of the early 20th century, including Cubism, Classicism, Orientalism, Symbolism, and Primitivism.‘

Don’t forget that the Met is closed on Mondays!

New York Fashion Now! April 17, 2007

Planning any trips to London, UK this summer? The famous Victoria and Albert Museum is having a show on New York Fashion worth seeing.

The exhibition will feature twenty start-up stories of NY designers who launched their own labels between 1999-2004. It will address the question of how design productivity was able to overcome the economic downturn that we experienced in NY at the turn of the 21st century, and will give us insight on how so many young hopefuls have prevailed at this particular moment.

The exhibition will be live from April 17 – September 23, 2007 and it is free with admission. For more information, click here!

Vivienne Westwood: 36 Years in Fashion: March 3, 2007 — June 10, 2007 March 23, 2007

“You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes”, Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood has been one of the most inspirational fashion designers for the past 35 years. She was the queen of punk fashion design in the 1970s, she created exquisite ball gowns influenced by historical art and dress, while by reinventing the corset and using tartans and tweeds, the historical costume became contemporary, practical and really cool.

Her innovative spirit and enormous talent have given us amazing street fashion, prêt-a-porter, haute couture, corsetry and unique evening gowns.

You can see a fantastic collection of more than 150 Vivienne Westwood garments and accessories at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, on display until June 10, 2007. The exhibition organized by the V&A Museum in London, is displaying a selection of the best pieces of the V&A’s collection and Westwood’s personal archive.

The de Young Museum is the only Museum in the US, which will feature this four-year international traveling exhibition, so make plans to visit San Francisco immediately!

For more information about the exhibition click here: http://www.thinker.org/deyoung/exhibitions

Is Beauty Dangerous? February 14, 2007

Is Beauty Dangerous? Apparently it can be. The Chelsea Art Museum has an interesting exhibition about the craziness and challenges of the modern society as far as beauty is concerned.

The visitor explores the mass ideology on beauty and its connection with aging, self-image, as well as society perception of what is beautiful and not. It also shows the extremes that people go to in order to remain desirable and maintain their youthful beauty, which can be really shocking. Check it out: DANGEROUS BEAUTY. It is up until April 21, 2007. A perfect way to spend a cold weekend morning before hitting the fancy stores all around.

After word: ‘It’s In the Bag: Purses from the Permanent Collection’ from the Museum of the City of New York February 3, 2007

A show on ladies purses from the last three centuries is a really exciting and very ‘of the moment’ exhibition for the fashion/conscious and savvy gal, who is not only interested in a beautiful design and a brand-name, but wants to explore more and learn how this magnificent accessory has been a prized possession for so many years.

Fascinated with the exhibition and the beautiful purses on display, I asked the curator Phyllis Magidson to talk to me about this exciting accessory, explain why the bags on view are so important, and what we learn by studying them. To read the rest of the article go to: www.handbagdesigner.com/trends