Upon entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art (on 5th Avenue and 83rd Street), to attend the Monday morning press preview of “China: Through the Looking Glass” (May 7th – August 16th), I was almost immediately transported from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, to the Far Eastern side of the globe. And that is precisely the goal of this multi-disciplined exhibition which purports to explore the way in which the rich Chinese culture has impacted Western fashion, fueling the imagination of the world’s most highly influential designers, including Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Margin Margiela, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Roberto Cavalli.

Curator Andrew Bolton

Staged in both the Chinese Galleries and the Anna Wintour Costume Center, there are more than 100 outfits (haute couture and ready to wear) and accessories, by over 40 designers, along with Chinese costumes, paintings, porcelains, films, and other forms of art. The museum’s Costume Institute Staff (headed by curator Andrew Bolton) enlisted the help of Maxwell Hearn, who heads the museum’s Department of Asian Art, along with Wong Kar Wai (for artistic direction). It is indeed a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the senses. Just about the only thing missing is a lavish Chinese Banquet (speaking of which, I found myself inexplicably craving Chinese food upon leaving).

The line outside the museum

By the way, members of the press had to wait on a rather long line, just to get inside the museum (though it did move quickly). Just as someone was asking if it was in fact, the press line, the legendary 92 year old Henry Kissinger got out of a town car and quickly made his way inside (naturally, he did not have to wait). His attendance was quite symbolic and fitting, given that Mr. Kissinger, as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under President Nixon, played a prominent role in U.S. foreign policy between 1969 and 1977, and it was he who orchestrated the opening of relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Henry Kissinger

It’s probably not coincidental that the well-attended press preview also seemed bigger than ever, just like its attending exhibition and evening gala, and many of those who showed up, took the Chinese theme to heart in their sartorial choices. Designer Thom Browne, dressed in his signature shrunken suit, was one of those taking it all in. He will not only be attending the Met Ball later in the day, but he told me he made dresses for two women: the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Emily Rafferty (the first woman to be named president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art), and Amy Fine Collins (which he described as being black and white with hits of color).

Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Thomas P Campbell, Trustee Anna Wintour, Financier Silas Chou, and curator Andrew Bolton (Photo: Getty Images)

At 11 a.m. there was a presentation in the Temple of Dendur, with speeches by Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO, the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Marissa Mayer, President and CEO, Yahoo (an exhibition sponsor); Maxwell K. Hearn, Douglas Dillon Chairman, Department of Asian Art; Andrew Bolton, Curator, The Costume Institute, and Wong Kar Wai, Exhibition Artistic Director.

Photo Randy Brooke (Click image for larger view)

Mr. Campbell described the exhibition as a “stunning achievement”, “a heroic effort”, “an inspiring mix of cultures and ideas”, and “the biggest exhibition we have ever undertaken”. He observed that it’s perfectly timed with the “Centennial of our Asian Department”. He also made note of “the exceptional support of Anna Wintour”, (this is the 17th time she has been at the helm of this event he observed). She herself did not speak but was seated in the front row (just like one year ago, when the Costume Institute was renamed in her honor, during the course of a ceremony lorded over by Michelle Obama).

Photo Randy Brooke (Click image for larger view)

Every year, the spring exhibition AND particularly, its attending gala, seem to get bigger and more high profile (if that’s even possible). There is no doubt that her muscle, focus, passion, and tireless single minded energy has created an event that has not only served as a major fundraiser for the Costume Institute (approximately $12 million was raised last year and $145 million has been raised thus far) but has become so prestigious and high profile, as to be almost unparalleled in this universe (perhaps only the Academy Awards even comes close).

Photo: Randy Brooke (Click image for larger view)

There is no question that it is truly all about Anna. She, and ‘THE EVENT’ were even front page news in Sunday’s The New York Times. (And not the “Sunday Styles” Section, but the prestigious front section: the ‘real’ news pages). Written by Vanessa Friedman, the article, “It May Be Called the Met Ball, But It’s Anna Wintour’s Party”, was a testament to the “unmistakable power of the 65 year old editor of Vogue and artistic director of Conde Nast”. (With all due respect to Anna, who is certainly well deserving of all the praise and accolades, I find myself wondering at what point the ring kissing will begin LOL).

Photo Randy Brooke (Click on image for larger view)

Mr. Hearn, who spoke a little bit in Chinese, described the exhibit, (a synthesis of “200 years of fashion and several millennia of Chinese History”) as “landmark”. “It’s all about the creative process” he offered. Wong Kar Wai also spoke partially in Chinese as he told the audience that it represents a “remarkable journey for myself and everyone on the team”. He also hailed it as celebration of “fashion and cinema.” Indeed, according to curator Andrew Bolton, “each gallery contains a film or series of films that relate to its theme and content which is key, since it was film that helped shape western designers’ perceptions of Chinese culture. In addition, the exhibit is called “Through the Looking Glass”as homage to Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there”. In Alice’s make believe world, everything is distorted and topsy turvy. “Like Alice’s make believe world, the China reflected in the fashions in the exhibition is a fictional, fabulous invention, offering an alternate reality with a dreamlike, almost hallucinatory, logic.” (Speaking of cinema, apparently, there will be a movie made about the Met Gala. How about calling it “A Night at the Museum 4” and have Ben Stiller make a cameo appearance?)

Photo: Marilyn Kirschner

Mr. Bolton also explained that while the exhibition (which was two years in the making) started out “modestly”, “as our ambitions grew, so did the show’s footprint, which came to incorporate all of the Chinese Galleries on the second floor of the museum. The final imprint, at approximately 30,000 square feet, is almost three times the size of our usual shows”. When I asked him what the exhibitions’ highlights are for him, he quickly answered: the Yves Saint Laurent pieces (which are grouped in one room), and John Galliano’s fantastical dresses. They are indeed exquisite, and along with several Maison Martin Margielas and one or two costumes, seem to be floating on water in an equally dream like and exquisite room complete with a pagoda.

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 What Generation Gap?

Tevi Gevinson, Iris Apfel & Judith Thurman (Photos courtesy The Metropolitan Museum)

Each year, The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts sit-down conversations with the fashion elite in celebration of the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition. If you think a conversation about fashion, style, chic, and good taste/bad taste staged between two gals with a 74 year age gap, sounds implausible, if not utterly impossible, you might want to think again.

On Sunday, The New Yorker writer Judith Thurman, who wrote an article about “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” (and who also wrote the introduction to the book which accompanies the exhibit), moderated a discussion “Good Taste/Bad Taste: The Evolution of Contemporary Chic”. The ‘stars’ were the “youngest AND the most venerable style icons”: Iris Apfel, the 90 year old bona fide style icon, and Tevi Gevinson, the famed 16 year old blogger.

Tevi is undeniably a precocious, bright, and talented young lady who has a lot to say, an individual point of view, and the formidable credentials to back it up (she has a huge following many of whom showed up at the SRO event). The Chicago based high school student started her blog The Style Rookie at age 11, is working on her own on-line magazine, has appeared in fashion films, starred in Uniqlo ads, and routinely shows up at Fashion Week. In addition, she has an old soul which completely belies her youth, while Mrs. Apfel, is not only the coolest person in any room, but the youngest at heart, (she refers to herself as “the oldest living teenager”) and thus, the generation gap was ably bridged.

But while Tevi more than held her own during the course of the hour long event, it was unsurprisingly the famed nonagenarian who stole the show with her spontaneous observations and uncensored, off-the-cuff, no holds bars advice. Let’s face it, 70+ years of experience are invaluable and cannot be underestimated. She often had the audience in stitches and was responsible for the best lines and most memorable quotes of the day.  When Ms. Thurman asked how each woman chose her outfit for the afternoon, Tevi said the Prada skirt (printed allover with surrealist black lips), was a gift from the designer and she liked its goth quality.

 For Iris, it was simple: “I have this jewelry and this outfit. If it looks good together, great. If not, it comes off and I try something else”. At one point, Judith asked if getting dressed is akin to performance art and a form of play. Both agreed it was. Tavi noted: “The fun side of fashion is what is so great”.  Iris noted: “When the fun goes out of it, I might as well be dead” and “Good fashion is good performance art. You assume a persona that comes with the outfit.” She also advised, “Pursue your own fancy. Don’t play by the rules. You have to relax and have fun. What’s the worst thing that can happen? The fashion police aren’t going to come and take you away. And if they do, you may have some fun in jail” (The audience howled)

Iris then channeled Diana Vreeland with her assessment that “too much good taste is bad”. Ms. Thurman mentioned the Miuccia Prada quote which is blown up on one wall of the exhibit: “I fight against my good taste” and began speaking about good taste vs. bad taste and the notion of “ugly chic” and “ugly cool”. Mrs Thurman showed slides to illustrate her point  — included were some Prada and Schiaparelli “ugly chic” designs from the current exhibition, selections from Marc Jacobs’ infamous grunge collection, Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Rabbi Chic” collection, and Rei Kawakubo’s “Quasimodo” designs for Comme des Garcons during which she padded her clothes in the worst possible places resulting that the models looked disfigured. She also showed images of the impeccable looking Duchess of Cambridge, the epitome of ‘good taste’.

Iris had her own thoughts about this: “It’s nice to be intellectual, but designers are making clothes that have to fit a woman. I see no value in spending money and looking like a freak. Women want to look good. I can do ugly on my own and it won’t cost me a penny.” (This was the best line of the afternoon). She went on to note, “Personal style has to evolve from yourself. You have to find out who you are” and “I don’t dress to be trendy. You can’t be trendy and have personal style.”

Iris then evoked her favorite quote (source unknown): “Personal style is curiosity about oneself” (Judith and everyone in the audience concurred). “I don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks. My rule many years ago was that I would not wear anything that would offend my mother or my husband. But otherwise, I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” “Fantasy is so lacking today. That’s one reason my (museum) shows were so successful.”

Ms. Thurman asked her how she dressed in the 40’s and she answered, “I was probably the first woman to wear jeans”. “In Wisconsin at that time, the only people wearing jeans was Paul Bunyan and a bunch of lumberjacks”, and she  recounted what she painstakingly went through to finally get a good fitting pair of jeans (they were eventually mail ordered from the boys’ department).

Ms. Thurman asked both women who their favorite designers are. Iris quickly mentioned Ralph Rucci “I wish I could afford to wear more of his clothes” and Dries Van Noten who once said he doesn’t have a specific woman in mind because that would be too limiting. And because she is an avowed accessory “nut”, she prefers architectural clothes with “good lines and good fabric” “I keep and wear my things for years. I am very loyal to my clothes”.

Tevi observed that she likes outfits that are “collages” and prefers designers who have a narrative that runs throughout their work. For that reason, her list includes Meadham Kirchoff, Rodarte, Creatures of the Wind, and Prada (who is also interested in “human features”).

The idea of feminism also came up (both Prada and Schiaparelli are considered to be feminists), and the discussion went on to include beauty. Tevi said she doesn’t really “care about being attractive” which is why Cindy Sherman appeals to her. She also noted that today, “there is more freedom in fashion but not in beauty.” At this point, Iris chimed in that “beauty is stressful for women over a certain age” and spoke about how difficult it is for this group of women to find anything to wear – – particularly, dresses with sleeves. “Women over a certain age don’t want to wear widows’ weeds or sack cloth and ashes. If I could, I would open a store called ‘Sleeves’ on Madison Avenue, and everyone would come.”

At the end, Judith asked: “What kind of show would you like to see? How would you curate a show at the Met?” Tevi noted that “this fear of aging is scary” and “Both Iris and I are fans of the advancedstyle.blogspot.com  ”  and she would like to see something along those lines. Iris concurred, “This would be a very healing show”. Ms. Thurman liked the idea of ending the conversation with the notion of ‘healing’. While she said she could not take questions from the audience, she did invite people to come up to the stage, and ask questions of the two women.

-Marilyn Kirschner

The post Conversation at the Costume Institute appeared first on lookonline.

Left: Yohji Yamamoto &  Right:  Mme Gres

Andrew Bolton and Harold Koda, Curator and Curator-in-Charge, the Met’s Costume Institute, admitted that long before Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, they had wanted to do a fashion exhibition featuring the works of two designers (specifically women), one that would take the form of a conversation. They have indicated their interest in doing this again, sometime in the future.

Of course, this current Met exhibit focuses on the almost uncanny similarities between the two creators, (in fact, it is often hard to tell which design is which in some instances). Still, Miuccia admitted she was never inspired by Schiap’s work, and they did not necessarily see eye-to-eye on everything (most notably where fashion as art is concerned).

Left: Valentino & Right: Comme des Garcons

This got me thinking about future pairings. I thought it more interesting both visually and verbally (in a wicked sort of way) if the duo to be featured were completely different, or even at odds in their design philosophies and aesthetics (in fact, the more diametrically opposed, the better!) Below are some examples of those I think would make for REALLY “Impossible Conversations” (the ultimate design ‘Odd Couples’, if you will), as illustrated by their words (a signature quote). And yes, this is meant to be tongue-in-cheek!

Christian Lacroix: “I was often accused — when people did not like my work — of doing couture that was too ‘theatrical, yet when I was a child, I never thought about fashion but only about making costumes.” AND Vera Wang: “Fashion offers no greater challenge than finding what works for night without looking like you are wearing a costume”.

Bob Mackie: “We live in a jeans and T-shirt world but we all want to live in a palace … We’re not trying to attract the masses here. We’re looking for a special person who’s looking for something special.” AND Yves Saint Laurent: “I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes”.

Tomas Meier (creative director Bottega Veneta): “The It Bag is a totally marketed bullshit crap. You make a bag, you put all the components in it that you think could work, you send it out to a couple of celebrities, you get the paparazzi to shoot just when they walk out of the house. You sell that to the cheap tabloids, and you say in a magazine that there’s a waiting list. And you run an ad campaign at the same time. I don’t believe that’s how you make something that’s lasting—that becomes iconic as a design.” AND Karl Lagerfeld (creative director Chanel): “Logos and branding are so important. In a big part of the world, people cannot read French or English–but are great in remembering signs.”

Mme Gres: “Perfection is one of the goals I’m seeking. For a dress to survive from one era to the next, it must be marked with an extreme purity.” AND  Yohji Yamamoto: “I think perfection is ugly. Somewhere in the things humans make, I want to see scars, failure, disorder, distortion.”

Christian Dior: “The tones of gray, pale turquoise and pink will prevail.” AND Andre Courreges: “I believe one can make women happier by bringing both more white and more colour into their lives. I’m sure that someday Paris streets will be as full of colour as one can see now on African and Asian streets. It’s ridiculous to focus on hemlines. Wearing my clothes is a question of spirit.”

Rei Kawakubo: “My intention from the start (of Comme des Garcons) was to show what I thought was strong and beautiful. It just so happened that my notion was different from everybody else’s.” AND Valentino Garavani: “I know what women want. They want to be beautiful”.

Isabel Toledo: “My jersey dresses seem to drip off the wearer’s body yet retain a structure that sometimes appears to challenge gravity. I deliberately build these dresses so that they cut away from a woman’s body rather than cling to her. AND Hubert de Givenchy: “The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.”

Alexander McQueen: “I get my ideas out of my dreams… if you’re lucky enough to use something you see in a dream, it is purely original. It’s not in the world — it’s in your head. I think that is amazing.” AND Helmut Lang: “Fashion is an expression and a reaction. It is a reflection, and even a proposal, on the current situation of our society.”

Betsey Johnson: “Take a leotard and add a skirt” AND Donna Karan: “For me, starting each collection is always about what I really want, what I really need, and I was personally dying for sensual comfort. I think when you think of Donna Karan, you think of sensuality, but it’s a different kind of sensuality. A kind of comfort sensuality that is one with your body and the way clothes feel (when they’re) on. ”

Arnold Scaasi: “My idea of sportswear was a sable lined coat” AND Ralph Lauren: “People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams.”

Ralph Rucci: “One thing stands out in my mind forever. Years ago I was at an event in New York filled with women in couture and jewels, and Elsa Peretti walks in wearing a black cashmere toga and a jumpsuit, carrying a small brown paper bag as an evening bag (and wearing, of course, 85 carats of ‘diamonds by the yard’). But the brown paper bag stands out as a symbol of individuality.” AND Zac Posen: The media is constantly redefining what luxury is. Luxury can be a dirty sock if dressed up in the right way.

Marc Jacobs (one of fashion’s most notable quick change artists) “The only time anything ever changes is really when you’re respectful and disrespectful at the same time”. “As part of a group of designers, we are all as passionate about change in fashion as ever…we trust our whims, and maintain integrity in our approach to make stylish clothing for now! AND Geoffrey Beene (one of the most consistent creators of all time) :”This change of seasons, change of silhouettes, it’s so dumb to me because a woman’s wardrobe should be just like a man’s – you keep adding to it good pieces. If you change every season, it simply implies that you didn’t have much faith in last season, so you leave it and go on to something else. It’s a very discouraging thing.”

Giorgio Armani: “I design for real people. I think of my customers all the time. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothing or accessories that are not practical.” AND Rudi Gernreich:, “It was just a whimsical idea that escalated when so many crazy ladies took it up.

As you can see by the last two quotes, regardless of the degree to which one designer may seem to radically differ from another, there will always be profound, basic points of agreement. Each is tapping into his/her creative soul, and seeking to address the needs, dreams, and desires of their customers. Or at the very least, they are striving to CREATE those needs, dreams, and desires.

The post REALLY Impossible Conversations  appeared first on lookonline.

All photos courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art

When you go to the highly anticipated exhibition, “Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations”  www.metmuseum.org/ , you will find that it is divided into seven thematic galleries:

“Waist Up/Waist Down”, exhibits Schiaparelli’s use of decorative detailing as a response to restaurant dressing in the heyday of 1930s café society, while showing Prada’s below-the-waist focus as a symbolic expression of modernity and femininity. An accessories subsection of this gallery called “Neck Up/Knees Down” will showcase Schiaparelli’s hats and Prada’s footwear.

“Ugly Chic” will reveal how both women subvert ideals of beauty and glamour by playing with good and bad taste through color, prints, and textiles.

“Hard Chic” will explore the influence of uniforms and menswear to promote a minimal aesthetic that is intended to both deny and enhance femininity.

“Naïf Chic” will focus on Schiaparelli and Prada’s adoption of a girlish sensibility to subvert expectations of age-appropriate dressing.

“The Classical Body,” which also incorporates “The Pagan Body,” explores the designers’ engagement with antiquity through the gaze of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

“The Exotic Body” will explore the influence of Eastern cultures through fabrics, such as lamé, and silhouettes, such as saris and sarongs.

“The Surreal Body” in the final gallery will illustrate how both women affect contemporary images of the female body through Surrealistic practices such as displacement, playing with scale, and blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion, as well as the natural and the artificial. This last category is of particular interest to me as I studied art and have always appreciated the playful, surrealist side of fashion. It also explains why I have a fondness for the art of trompe l’oeil, which literally translates to ‘fool the eye’.

Tear Dress by Elsa Schiapareilli

Elsa Schiaparelli was well known for her iconic and highly influential trompe l’oeil designs. It has been said that she was “not merely mimicking surrealism’s visual play nor was she trying to be trendy, she was exposing the surreal aspect of her own medium: Fashion”. In fact, the group of sporty and graphic trompe l’oeil sweaters she created in the 1920’s including the Bowknot sweater, which is considered to be the most popular woman’s sweater of all time, launched her career. There was also the Tear Dress, from her celebrated 1938 Circus Collection. The trompe l’oeil  Tears print was specially designed by Schiaparelli’s friend, the artist Salvador Dali, and savage rips and tears cover the slender evening gown and head-veil.

Micuccia Prada Fall 2011 Collection

Her creative counterpart in this exhibition, Miuccia Prada, has made effective use of this technique as well.  For her decidedly mod inspired fall winter 2011 collection, she accesorized with calf length trompe l’oeil boots made of leather or contrasting animal skins, which cleverly mimicked Mary Janes worn with long socks. (What is IT about Italians and trompe l’oeil anyway?) Venetian born, Roberta di Camerino, (1920- 2010), who opened her fashion house in 1945, was not only known for her fabulous plush velvet handbags, but her employment of interesting trompe l’oeil effects that not only appeared as pleats, buttons, buckles, saddle stitching, pockets, and other details, but were printed on the textiles of accessories and cloth. In my opinion, hers are some of the best and most cleverly done incarnations.

Roberta di Camerino dress made to look like a belted cardigan, shirt, and patterned skirt

Among her most signature pieces from the 1970’s are the short and long dresses, some of which appear to be three piece ensembles (a belted cardigan or blazer, white shirt, and skirt), while others are printed to look like pleated, wrapped and draped silk jersey evening gowns. Brilliant and oh so clever, not to mention, highly functional. Just think: you can have a cardigan that will never get lost or misplaced, and a belt that will never fall off! If you are lucky, you can periodically find these rarities at vintage shops, on vintage websites, at the numerous vintage shows around town, and at auction.

1960’s Fabiani surrealist dress

Speaking of which, in November, 2002, I had my eye on a 1960’s Fabiani surrealist dress which was being auctioned at Doyle New York and graced the cover of their catalogue. It featured a trompe l’oeil design of two attenuated hands, one adorned with a large teardrop emerald glass stone ring with rhinestone baguettes and was estimated at pulling in somewhere between $1,000 to $1,500. It eventually found a home at $3,250. Sadly, not mine!

Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons

Other world class designers who have been similarly inspired by this theme through the years, include Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, who layered trompe l’oeil chains at the waist of a sleeveless black wool dress (1985), and Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons. Rei Kawakubo not only featured trompe l’oeil ready-to-wear for fall/winter 2009, she extended the theme to the coordinating footwear as well.

Most recently, Michael Kors employed a trompe l’oeil design on his sturdy cotton canvas Hamilton tote, $80 (http://www.netaporter.com/ ). FYI, speaking of all things surrealistic, the Red Carpet for the Costume Institute Ball on Monday evening will be even more over-the-top than usual. With a first ever live streaming of the event and given the honorees and their unique ground breaking designs, I suspect the attendees will be similarly inspired to rise to the occasion with their own outfits and accessories. Or at least, I hope they will?

– Marilyn Kirschner

The post Let’s Fool Around… appeared first on lookonline.

 A Vote of Confidence for American Women

I attended the Monday morning press preview for ‘American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity”, the Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibit (May 5, August 15, 2010), organized by Andrew Bolton, Curator, and Harold Koda, Curator in Charge.

As always, there was an 11AM press conference held in the glorious Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court. After guests helped themselves to the pre-requisite coffee and danish, Thomas P. Campbell, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took to the podium and addressed the crowd, acknowledging that it was a “great pleasure to be here today to inaugurate ‘American Woman, Fashioning a National Identity’, which focuses on the 1890’s to the 1940’s and explores archetypes of American femininity through dress.”

“It’s a celebration of independent, elegant and resourceful women who initiated revolutions of style to mirror a social, political, sartorial emancipation”. “How those women were perceived has effected how American women are seen today”. Another noteworthy aspect is the fact that this is the “first exhibition drawn from the newly established Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum ”. (Most of the pieces on view, which haven’t been seen in public for about 30 years, were transported from the Brooklyn Museum Collection to the Met in January 2009). “Together, the two collections are truly greater than the sum of their parts” he observed.

Mr. Campbell also thanked and praised Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, for her unwavering support and for being a longtime and passionate advocate for the Costume Institute. “For more than a dozen years she has generously applied her support to the spring costume institute exhibition on behalf of Conde Nast and has also co-chaired the accompanying benefit gala which supports the Costume Institute year round. Tonight’s benefit has been sold out for months”.

He then introduced Patrick Robinson, “a signature talent” who is Executive Vice President of Design for the Gap (a sponsor of the exhibit). Patrick, looking chic in a crisp white shirt and black blazer (by the Gap I presume), said the Gap is “honored to be a sponsor of the exhibit, which is a celebration of the style of the American Woman”.

“Throughout our 40 year history, the Gap has been an avid supporter of the arts and our sponsorship of this year’s exhibition is another testament of our commitment. The theme of the exhibition is a natural fit for the Gap. We are proud of our legacy: offering accessible American design and helping to shape the lifestyle of the modern American woman. And being able to take that sensibility to the wardrobe of the modern American woman. Our clothes speak to who the American woman is: an independent spirit who wants to be comfortable, look good, and be her own true self. We’ve been part of her everyday wardrobe since 1969, with timeless pieces reinvented in keeping with the times.”

Last but not least was Andrew Bolton, always a wealth of information, who thanked his colleagues at the Costume Institute. He didn’t waste any time talking about the significance of the transfer of the distinctive, distintinguished and diverse Brooklyn Museum Collection, (curated by Jan Glier Reeder), to the Met’s Costume Institute. He said when they began mounting the exhibition, their initial focus was on “women of style” like Millicent Rogers and Mrs. Austine Hearst, and their goal was to provide a sequel to Diana Vreeland’s 1975 ‘American Women’ exhibition at the Met. As they continued to research the collection, their focus shifted from ‘icons’ of American femininity to ‘ideals’ of American femininity. He noted the significance of the fact that by the 1940’s, the fashion ‘gaze’ turned away from Europe towards America and internationally, the American woman began to be recognized as an ultimate symbol of progress and modernity. Their challenge was to “convey a timeframe in a way that reflected the American women’s increasing emancipation and her gradual involvement in public life”

By the way, as I previously mentioned, while the exhibition was ‘made possible’ by the Gap (with additional support provided by Conde Nast), I can assure you there is nary a pair of jeans, a t shirt, white shirt, or safari jacket from this moderately priced American brand in sight. But of course, the Gap was founded in 1969 and the timeline of this exhibit if from the 1890’s through the 1940’s.

In fact, the approximately 80 pieces on display (“the archetypes of American Femininity” symbolic of the “emancipation of American style” in the words of Andrew Bolton) represent some of the most important examples of haute couture and high fashion from the 1890’s through the 1940’s, bearing labels from celebrated houses such as Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Charles Frederick Worth, Vionnet, Lanvin, Molyneaux, Jessie Franklin Turner, Charles James, Madame Gres, Callot Soeurs.

Displayed in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall on the second floor, the clothing is arranged chronologically in circular galleries decorated with Nathan Crowley’s marvelous hand painted panoramas (sound and video are effective in that they seem to bring the clothes to life) and divided as such:

1- ‘Heiress’ (1890’s ballgowns); 2- ‘Gibson Girl’ (1890’s sports themed bathing ensembles, equestrian gear, and cycling sets; 3- ‘Bohemia’ (the early 1900’s); 4- ‘Suffragist’ (1910’s) and ‘Patriot’ (1910’s); 5- ‘Flapper’ (1920’s); 6- ‘Screen Siren’ (1940’s); 7- ‘American Women’ A montage from the 1890’s to the present). My favorite galleries are the ‘Flappers’ with their so very modern, bejeweled, fringed, and fur accessorized chemise dresses by Patou, Lanvin, Molyneaux, and ‘Screen Siren’ which is made to resemble a 30’s cinema (complete with the larger than life Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant on the big screen) with its selection of chic, soignée, and utterly timeless bias cut gowns (Chanel, Vionnet, Lanvin, Jessie Franklin Turner, Travis Banton) played out in predominately black and white. By the way, during his speech at the press conference, Andrew Bolton acknowledged the enduring ideal that sums up the ‘Screen Siren’. A quick look at the images from the Red Carpet arrivals for last night’s Gala, confirmed that as well as it seemed to me that many guests (screen stars or not) wanted to conjure up that image.

-Marilyn Kirschner

Red Carpet Report:

Anna Wintour in Chanel (All red carpet photos: Randy Brooke)

Last night at the gala, white and metallic gowns were the most popular on the red carpet. Most attendees I saw opted for classic eveningwear, although a few dared to show their wild sides. The evening’s co-chairs Anna Wintour and Oprah Winfrey were some of the first to arrive. Gap’s Executive Vice President of Global Design, Patrick Robinson, also served as a co-chair. When Wintour described her choice of a rouched Chanel silver gown and overcoat for the evening, she said that it was “Karl’s design and she obeyed. He’s the master”.

Meanwhile, Winfrey arrived with the designer of her gown, Oscar de la Renta. Her navy blue dress showed off her figure beautifully thanks to a ruffled skirt and a fitted top that accentuated her curves. According to Winfrey the night was about encouraging people to see the exhibit. She also said she was pleased that the evening was a celebration of the glamour of the American woman.

Doutzen Kroes wearing Zac Posen
There were a number of standout looks from the evening. Jennifer Lopez walked in a stunning silver strapless Zuhair Murad gown with a lovely metallic overlay. Zac Posen accompanied his muse Doutzen Kroes, who wore a fanciful pale blue tulle creation from the designer, complete with a full skirt. Eva Longoria Parker joked that she knew her dress was a good fit because she couldn’t breathe. She wore an elegant strapless silver Marchesa gown with metallic floral embroidery and a long train. Jessica Alba wore a lovely asymmetrical one shoulder blush rose-colored Sophie Theallet for Gap gown. Brooke Shields wore a floor length body hugging gold gown created by her escort Michael Kors. She described the gown as extremely comfortable and remarked that “it doesn’t get better than this” when Kors adjusted her train for her.

Renee Zellweger in Carolina Herrera
Although Lady Gaga was the performer for the night, she opted not to walk the red carpet. This left Katy Perry to take the place of most flamboyantly dressed attendee. She arrived in a white and pink striped dress with a sky-high slit and rotating LED lights. The gown was designed by British fashion company CuteCircuit. Whether you loved it or hated it, it was definitely the most memorable outfit of the evening.

Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Halston Heritage
Two other much talked about looks included Andre Leon Talley and Whoopi Goldberg’s coordinated Chado Ralph Rucci outfits. Goldberg wore a white unstructured ensemble that was fashioned to look like a two-piece, while Leon Talley donned a signature white cape with black trim. Gisele Bundchen also turned heads in an Alexander Wang black braided leather mini dress with a fringed border. Her outfit stood in stark contrast to husband Tom Brady’s classic tuxedo.

Stella McCartney, Liv Tyler, Kate Hudson
Of course, the men of the evening cannot be forgotten. While many of the male attendees opted for standard black tie, Tom Ford wore a pale pink tuxedo jacket. Jimmy Fallon also skipped a black tuxedo jacket in favor of a white one from Tommy Hilfiger.

Although some looks were far from tame, for the most part, timeless elegance reigned supreme.

– Caroline Erb-Medina

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 Red Carpet Report

This year the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrates “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion”. The exhibition runs from May 6 until August 9, 2009. As mentioned in the press release, this exhibition explores the reciprocal relationship between high fashion and evolving ideals of beauty, focusing on iconic fashion models in the latter half of the 20th century and their roles in projecting, and sometimes inspiring, the fashion of their respective eras. The exhibit is expected to showcase how these models have served as designer muses by inspiring, defining and embodying trendsof the 20th century, and contributing to how fashion eras are remembered.

In the past years, the public interest and fascination for supermodels has waned significantly. The gala held tonight served as an interesting view of what was yesterday and how things are today. Long gone are the Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell flamboyant display of personalities that had more to do with the superstar system than anything related to the fashion world. Today, fashion and its dictates have won, and the models have become not much more than clothes hangers that let the creative spirit of fashion designers be expressed. They merely display clothes, leaving their personalities behind a common mask of unexpressive faces and languid physical stance. The British model Agnes Deyn, who has been touted as “fashion’s next supermodel” is an exception. Even she stays in the recesses of public scrutiny (so far), just lending her public persona for mostly fashion related events.

The two first VIPs to step on the red carpet were Marc Jacobs (Honorary Chair) and Kate Moss (one of the three co-chairs), clad in a single shoulder asymmetrical metallic dress by Marc Jacobs with matching platform heels and a metallic turban by Stephen Jones. Following them and in all fashion splendor came Heidi Klum (who is expecting), glowing in a Gilles Mendel dress made of layered and tiered midnight blue organza. Gilles Mendel was her proud escort.

After this, a succession of celebrities, models and guests followed on the red carpet amid the shouting of photographers claiming their attention, and lights flashing from every direction. Among the many seen arriving and posing for photographs, some more than others attracted attention whether by their status and/or what they were wearing. The models were out in force, of course, most showing long and extremely skinny legs in very short outfits.

Cindy Crawford, along side Donatella Versace, sizzled in a plunging and fitted electric blue Versace number that featured a thigh-high slit. Victoria Beckham in a Marc Jacobs polka-dot single shoulder mini dress with a train stood confidently in sky-high pedestal ankle wrap pumps.The only fashion tragedy of that evening was that Leighton Meester wore the same shoes! Jessica Biel stepped out in Christian Louboutin’s, looking radiant in a red boned-bodiced Atelier Versace Spring 2009 gown complete with ruffled train.

Boyfriend Justin Timberlake, a co-host of the night’s festivities, looked dapper in a creation from his William Rast line. Gisele Bundchen went super short in a sequined blue Versace mini and peep-toe booties to match. Tyra Banks walked the red carpet in a metallic black strapless fishtail Badgley Mischka Couture gown accessorized with the designer’s jet chandelier earrings, glass stone cuff, and couture shoes. The singer Rihanna sizzled in a black tuxedo, and edgy creation from Dolce & Gabbana.

Almost a flashback to her wild youth and shocking ways, Madonna turned out in an outrageous ensemble complete with thigh high black stripper boots and what could be the world’s largest scrunchie. It was Louis Vuitton, so that worked for the “Material Girl,” but not for the rest of us. Designer Stella McCartney in a lacy pant singlet showed off some of her design muses. Kate Hudson glistened in a gold keyhole halter gown with exposed back, Liv Tyler was superb in a blue plunging number, and Kate Bosworth was magnificent in a body-hugging lace gown.

Mary-Kate Olsen wore a fantastically full vintage Christian Lacroix frock. Diane von Furstenberg was seen going up the stairs in an elegant free flowing metallic dress. The singer Ciara looked beautiful in a black and white Pucci dress created by its new director Peter Dundas. If Anna Wintour looked elegant and classy in a black and white Chanel Couture dress, her daughter Bee Schafer and her Nina Ricci dress didn’t fare as well. A special mention goes to Stella McCartney whose obvious talent was well displayed that night.

However, in my opinion, the five best dresses of the night were the ones worn by Heidi Klum (Gilles Mendel), Marion Cotillard in a dreamy blush pink Christian Dior dress, Renée Zellweger in a fantastic forest green long dress by Carolina Herrera, Liv Tyler in a blue metallic dress by Stella McCartney, Diane Kruger in a fantastic Chanel dress of white roses.

As for the fashion faux pas, well, there were quite a few. The one that stands out the most has to be what Helena Christiensen was wearing. She was accompanied by Zac Posen and modeled one of the fashion designer’s creations that looked more like a cheap Halloween costume than anything else.

Kohle Yohannan, guest co-curator of the exhibit says that “We’reliving in an era, where there are 14-year olds running up and down the runway and Carmen at 77 walking the same runway. We have plus-size models, we have the skinny model, we’ve got everything inbetween, we’ve got every race, every blend, every exotic type. That’s great, we’ve come a long way and I think it’s awesome to celebrate all of these women’s contributions to what fashion is, because it’s more than a dress. It’s the woman in it as well”. Maybe, Mr Yohannan, however more than ever before, the high-end of fashion only chooses very skinny and unhealthy looking models. Tonight, seeing curvier women like Cindy Crawford, Cheryl Tiegs and Carol Alt (to name a few) was a reminder that models do not need to be just clothes hangers to display fashion the best way.

A final note concerning the technical side of the event. This year, budget cuts (?) resulted in poor lighting under the tent housing the red carpet. It’s was quite unfortunate, as many photographers noted.

-Muriel Geny-Triffaut

The post 2009 Costume Institute Gala appeared first on lookonline.

What could be better for an avid fashion and art aficionado (my major in college), than merging both worlds and in the process, feeling as though you have the awesome Metropolitan Museum of Art all to yourself? (well… almost to yourself).

I was extended an invitation to attend an early morning press preview (for The Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibit (May 6 – August 9, 2009) “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion”, http://www.metmuseum.org/

Underwritten by Marc Jacobs with additional support provided by Conde Nast, this will be accompanied by a gala, (long considered to be ‘The Party of the Year’) to be held on May 4th, with Honorary Chair Marc Jacobs and Co-chairs Kate Moss, Justin Timberlake, and Anna Wintour.

The event was called for 8:30 a.m., with comments by Thomas P. Campbell, Director; Harold Koda, Curator in Charge, The Costume Institute; John Myhre, Creative Consultant; and designer Marc Jacobs) to begin at 8:45 and unsurprisingly, the press conference started precisely on time since the 80 or so invited guests (members of the press including international figures like Suzy Menkes and Hilary Alexander) had to make it to their early morning shows. After coffee and a light breakfast, we were led into the Velez Blanco Patio, where a blown up black and white image of the most famous ‘supermodels’ in the world (Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford) served as a backdrop for those taking the podium. Photographed by Peter Lindbergh for British Vogue, January 1990, the gals were all dressed in Giorgio di Sant’Angelo bodysuits, and across the room, there were 13 dress forms clad in the late designer’s iconic and dramatically draped silk stretch mesh gowns, (Donated by Martin F. Price, they made quite a statement and served as a teaser of what is to come).

Thomas Campbell was introduced by Elyse Topalian and talked about the muses of the fashion world that will be the subject of the exhibit: those models who inspired designers, photographers, and the men and women who wear their work. He thanked Marc Jacobs (whom he called a “creative genius”) and Anna Wintour, for their support of the exhibition.

Harold Koda then took the podium and discussed how this exhibit will explore the fashion muse through a 50 year period beginning with Christian Dior’s New in 1947 and said the women were primarily editorial models, mainly in American magazines, and referred to the “memorable images from editorial coverage”. He divided the periods as such: 1- 1947, ‘The Golden Years’ exemplified by Dovima, Dorian Leigh, Suzy Parker; 2- The 60’s ‘Youthquake’ (Jean Shrimpton), ‘Exotic’ (Veruschka); 3- 1967 – 1977 (“The most challenging period”. At Vogue, this saw a new athleticized ideal epitomized by Patti Hansen and Lisa Taylor; 4- The 1980’s and the ‘birth’ of the ‘Supermodels’; 5- The 1990’s and “the connection with our sponsor”. Harold Koda was referring to the “ultimate supermodel” Kate Moss who made her debut in that “defining moment”, Marc Jacobs’ groundbreaking ‘Grunge’ Collection for Perry Ellis in 1992; 6- “The Branded Body” (the symbiotic relationship of models in fashion advertising). Mr. Koda also told the crowd that the one thing Marc Jacobs requested about the exhibit was “to make it fun”.

John Myhre got up and described in quick detail about how the exhibit will be laid out, and then Marc Jacobs took the podium, dressed in his new ‘uniform’ of choice: a fitted dark gray cashmere pullover and black kilt. His controversial, love it or hate it fall collection over, he looked relaxed and ready for Paris where he shows Louis Vuitton, yet he seemed a bit nervous as he read from his short and to the point prepared notes.

Though Marc admitted, “I am always inspired by the models that come into our offices”, he wasted no time in identifying the ‘ultimate supermodel’ Kate Moss. “She was the energy that brought the clothes to life”, “she defined a time, a feeling” he said, in reference to that ‘grunge’ collection. In closing, he quoted the late Yves St. Laurent, (who obviously served as a muse of sorts for his recent resort 2009 collection) “A good model can advance fashion by 10 years.”

And speaking of muses and inspiration, it’s hard to forget how much of an inspiration the late Stephen Sprouse has been for Marc, ever since they collaborated together for Louis Vuitton. And most recently, Marc’s use of those 80’s inspired acid brights, had many of us thinking about Sprouse again. (As usual, it got all of us talking, and disagreeing. WWD thought it was brilliant, and others, like The New York Times’ Cathy Horyn, said it was hard to find something to like about it). But whatever your take, the one thing that is obvious, is that color is officially ‘back’.

It’s not exactly a revolutionary observation that color elicits an emotional response and the use of color in fashion can go a long way in curing the blues. They are invariably crowd pleasers and certainly had people clapping at Michael Kors yesterday morning (especially when that neon pink double face cashgora melton coat and matching cashmere tunic came down the runway). Of course, Michael opened the show with a chic black wool satin trench coat followed by a black cashmere reefer and it wasn’t until #8 that he got into color (an acid shredded fox coat and matching cashmere dress. What made his use of color successful, was that there was nothing especially cartoonish about the rather classic, pared down, simplified shapes (no football shoulders here) that were used.

Michael’s 71 piece collection (with nary a long dress, print, or pattern, in sight) made a case for projecting a strong, optimistic, positive image, even if the economy has all of us sitting on pins and needles and feeling down. It was all about the philosophy of “looking good is the best revenge”. The focus this time was on a decidedly dressed up, architectural, structured, sculptural look (down to the sculpted killer heels), with attention paid to cut, tailoring, and the perfection of time worn classics, ‘investment’ pieces: strong coats, great jackets, well cut pants, sculpted suits, draped tuxedos, must have parkas, the perfect white shirt, crystal or gunmetal dresses (some with cowl back), perfectly cut ‘sliced’ sheaths (so what if some of the molded black leather dresses recalled Balenciaga for fall 2008?). These are intended to be ‘keepers’; those ‘go to’ items one can always rely upon, regardless of the vagaries of fashion’s ins and outs.

For Michael, it’s always about the use of luxurious fabrics like stretch cashmere, wool and satin, felted wool and felted wool jersey, stretch gabardine, organza tweed, double face cashgor melton, silk faille, neoprene, plunged leather, and fur. And let’s not forget the accessories: bold silver and gold jewelry, chic clutch bags, oversized glamour frames, sleek belts, oversized fur trapper hats (the bigger and the brighter, the better!)

Following Michael was Richard Chai’s vision for fall: no neon brights here, though there were shots of color and pattern within the predominantly neutral 21 piece collection. The young designer has amassed quite a following (to wit, Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington were seated in the front row) and deservedly so. His strong signatures: innovative tailoring (exemplified by several coats and jackets with ‘lifted’ shoulders, and unexpected mixes (fabric, texture, color, pattern), were very much on display. In a season of pattern mixing and plaids, Richard’s poppy streaming plaid, looked especially good when paired with leather to ‘tough’ it up.

Standouts include the umber ‘plunge’ leather draped front coat with lifted shoulder worn with a poppy streaming plaid printed wool silk sateen draped knee length dress; the lifted shoulder umber brushed wool shaped cutaway jacket paired with a charcoal mohair cardigan and umber plunge leather wide leg pleated trouser; the poppy streaming plaid printed wool satin cut away jacket, silk voile burnout shirt and wool sateen slim pleated pant; the umber confetti printed silk top with printed pailletes worn with an umber confetti printed pailletes slim pant.

While 3.1 Phillip Lim may not have staged his best showing thus far, there was still plenty to like among the eccentric 51 piece collection for men and women. Once again, it’s all about the young designer’s signature off handed mixes, resulting in something youthful, quirky, and offhanded, (as though the woman quickly and unselfconsciously threw herself together in a very personal way). Adept tailoring, printed dresses, Sergeant Pepper influences, gauntlet gloves, shots of gold, graphic embellishments, Mongolian fur chubbies, peaked shoulders, cocoon shaped knits and coats, were some of the recurring themes.

The word ‘eccentric’ would also describe Alexandre Herchcovitch’s fall collection, which was the designer’s most scaled down (and shortest) runway show I can recall, and where key trends du jour continued. By that I am referring to short lengths, pattern mixes, sequins, leggings, layering, long leather gloves, and fuzzy fur trim (in some cases one can tell it’s real fur and in other cases, it’s hard to tell what the fabric is and at Herchcovitch, it was a case of the latter). Here, a furry looking material (mohair?) in dark gray, covered sleeves, shoulders, and bodices of several black dresses. But since offhanded prints and pattern mixes have long been Alexandre’s signature, it was not surprising that the strongest part of the collection was the opening, which mixed a red and purple abstract splattered floral print (for lack of a better description) with pieces in bold sequined horizontal stripes, in some cases, turning up as footless tights or legwarmers layered under short skirts and dresses, or peeking out of out of cropped trousers.
By the way, I thought I would recap a few of the more obvious ‘trends’ and recurring themes seen on the runways thus far:

The eccentric hat; the colored fur; leggings and tights; sequins; layering; fur chubbies; fur trim (sometimes very fuzzy and furry); short (as in abbreviated coats, dresses, skirts); pattern mixing; peaked shoulders; menswear inspiration; leather gauntlets; cocoon coats .

-Marilyn Kirschner

Narciso Rodriquez

Sitting cheek to jowl with the A-list fashion pack, as everyone waited with baited breath for the Narciso Rodriguez show to begin, this editor was caught up in the heavy mood of anticipation for what was to come. Knowing that this designer always puts his best face forward just about every season, the air was filled with the fragrance of haute fashion, eleganza and sophistication beyond compare. Always known for impeccable tailoring, deluxe, most luxurious fabrics and an opulent sense of fashion across the board, it was certainly expected that Rodriguez would not disappoint for the new season.

The show began calmly with beautifully groomed, reed-thin models, sporting khaki wool twill coats, white viscose knit x-neck sweaters, khaki wool gabardine pants and white silk crepe dresses, seen plain or printed. Well, everyone in the house breathed a sigh of relief, as they readied for what was to appear next on the catwalk. While the designer definitely showed a preference for on-the-down low hues – black, of course, which is everywhere during this edition of Fashion Week, is also at the top of the list here – there were the fun and vibrant colors of the moment – citrine, purple, pink and yellow (or as Rodriguez says of the latter hues; “highlighter pink and yellow”) that really hit the mark. Rendered in an array of viscose knit dresses, wool tweed jackets, viscose knit cardigans, wool/silk coats, et al, these kinds of crazy colors made everyone in the audience sit up and take notice. Additional shades of blue, bronze, gold, pewter and platinum obviously interested Rodriguez, as he incorporated these cool tones with other deeper, darker, more morose colors across the collection.

Mixing prints and patterns so deftly, that to the untrained eye, a viewer might think that the clothing was “painted”, when in actually it was the studied art of a master craftsman and designer, such as Rodriguez has always been in the past that brought prints such as the silk camouflage pattern seen on several coats, dresses and pants, that totally made a unique statement and set this part of the show apart from other looks in the show. Shown with whimsical bucket hats – reminiscent of Courreges,. Paco Rabanne and everyone’s favorite 1960’s stewardesses, flying for Pacific Southwest Airlines, the grooviest airline that at that time, flew from San Diego to Los Angeles to Seattle – worn over the face, showing only the models’ eyes peeking through the hats’ cut-outs, the clothes came across as whimsical, fun, zippy, and cool; descriptive words not generally associated with a high designer such as Rodriguez.

But, in the end, this season was not the designer’s shining moment. Overall, the clothes did not match up to what everyone always expects from Rodriguez, especially when it comes to the grandeur, expensiveness and finite tailoring that has, up until now, really has defined his style and been his signature. When colors, prints, patterns, accessories and the music that the models are walking to, capture more attention than a particular designer’s actual clothing collection, than it might be time to rethink the repertoire. For this editor, the question that begs to be answered is whether or not what hit the runway was the Narciso Rodriguez designer line, or simply a watered-down, diffusion collection under the name of “NR”.

– Adrienne Weinfeld-Berg

Anna Sui’s Belle Epoque

For many reasons, Wednesday always seems to be the most trying day of Fashion Week. By this time it appears that we have all waited in one too many lines and rushed to one too many shows, and everyone’s patience seems to be wearing thin. The fact that yesterday was also a dreary, rainy Wednesday did not help matters very much. Little did I know that I need not have despaired. As I took my seat in the Tent at Bryant Park on Wednesday night for the Anna Sui show, I found myself reinvigorated by the soundtrack of classic French tunes mixed with more modern fare, like Blondie’s Sunday Girl.

Leave it to Anna Sui to provide the perfect antidote to a lackluster day. Her recent collections never fail to delight, as she expertly crafts her designs in the style of her chosen theme. For Fall 2009 she has conjured up a mixture of Belle Epoque meets Bohemian Hippie Chic. Those in attendance to enjoy the show included Allure Editor in Chief Linda Wells, seated across the runway from Taylor Momsen, who plays Gossip Girl’s Jenny Humphrey. A celebrity model even graced the catwalk. Daisy Lowe, daughter of rocker Gavin Rossdale and British singer- turned designer Pearl Lowe, made her only Fashion Week runway appearance last night.

Sui’s collection mixed ornate patterns and intricate prints with flouncy dresses and skirts and thermal leggings. Silhouettes channeled Chanel and French can-can girls. Colors and fabrics ranged from heavy black crushed velvet to light and airy print chiffons in bold colors like turquoise, heliotrope, and gold. The looks were accessorized with elaborate feathered hats and the occasional tiara and long gloves. Chunky shoes and boots and coordinating bags rounded out the ensembles. I especially liked the floral print dresses with cinched waistlines. They were at once tailored and feminine.

As an added treat, each seated guest received an Anna Sui shopping bag filled with assorted goodies like perfume and cosmetics. I left the tent relaxed and refreshed, having enjoyed my visit to Anna’s French Salon.

-Rhonda Erb

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