Fashion Unraveled Symposium... A mountain of things I haven't told you...

I don't want to exhaust you with this, but the symposium I attended this past Saturday set my creative and artisanal brain on ABSOLUTE fire.

Where do I even begin?

Okay, we all reach the creative point where we start to analyze why we do what we do.  Does it matter?  Is it silly or frivilous?  Why is this so important to me?

Maybe you bristle when you make something you feel is lovely (which, truth be told, is ALL that matters), and someone says something that indicates that they have missed the point entirely.  People are often impressed when I simplify an item I've made, by just stating that it was "custom made", and then, when they wanna know where to buy it, I reveal that I am the maker.  Then, I get the looks of "You must be crazy to make your own shoes!", or "Why aren't you doing this as a business?"

But, really, those are my own issues.  I do make things for people, lead tours, consult and source when I am the right person for the job, but this whole area of my life is so much bigger than that.  What i am beginning to tell you, could probably be a novel's worth of information, but I'll put it here, because I need to process and express it, even if it isn't widely read or commented on...  Sick with me, and I'll just add to this post in parts, until I'm done.  How long with that take?  I dunno.  Let's see....

Unraveled... experience it vicariously here.

Go, if you can.  It is wonderfully done.

Museum at FIT

227 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001

Know the hours.  The exhibit is free.

On now until Nov 17, 2018

The Body: Fashion and Physique (FIT exhibit)

The Museum at FIT

Seventh Avenue at 27th Street (corner)

Closed Sunday, Monday and legal holidays

otherwise, 10AM-8PM (5PM on Saturday)

This exhibit was absolute MAGIC, assuming you have the time and patience to really think it through.  Brilliantly curated by Emma McClendon, this exhibit is about so much more than clothing.  My words won't drive the points home nearly as well as a visit to the exhibit will.

If you can get here while the exhibit is still open (which is quite a while), don't miss it.  It is free, quiet, near some great fabric and notions shopping, and delicious restaurants.  You NEED to see it, but particularly for its academic and social messages and impact, more than it's visual one.

Seriously, can we talk about corsets and 18" waists? This false information has been repeated and repeated... while only simple measurements of old corsets will tell you the truth.  why do we subscribe to notions of how we should be shaped, or what we should like, based on what the clothing available to us looks like?

I was really amazed by the custom dress made for the comedienne Leslie Jones.  The beauty of it was just breath-taking.  Why did it take Christian Siriano to make the "brave" step of offering to make her a gown?

The industry has opened up to a growing cross section of people, and certain designers have embraced a diverse view...

-from the exhibition pamphlet

Just go see it.   Feel free to ask questions, to yourself, to each other... but open up, and think about what should be, and what CAN be.  Get inspired!

Currently at FIT Museum - EXPEDITION: Fashion from the Extreme

Expedition

Let's be honest. I wasn't really jazzed to see this exhibit, because I really couldn't see a direct application of this topic in my life.  But... last weekend, since I was near FIT anyway, I stepped inside, casually walked downstairs (for this one), prepared to be unimpressed.

And yet again, I was WRONG!

Think of it this way: "Travel to extreme environments is a relatively modern phenomenon." This is the opening line of the exhibition pamphlet I held in my hand as I wandered into the space.

Think on that for a second.  Fine. Give it more than a second. Yeah... Safari, camouflage, ski parkas, scuba gear, space travel... actually... I do get it. Didn't think I did, but I do!

To really appreciate the variety and beauty of the pieces presented, you'll have to go in person. No spoilers here.  It really is a thinking person's exhibit, and you won't regret it.

On view until January 6, 2018

Can't go in person? Visit virtually here.

Exhibits to see...

While it was my intention to go to a museum exhibit today, my belly has prevented me from doing so.  Instead, I have a cup of tea at the computer, waiting for my insides to settle down, so I will try again once I feel better.

Spring in NYC seems to always turn my attention to beautiful museum exhibits.  There are so many alluring ones right now...

Here are some to get excited about - both current and upcoming!

Museum of Art and Design:

Handmade Fashion in American Counterculture

Judith Leiber handbags

Upcoming later this month: Fashion After Fashion

Museum of the Moving Image:

Teen Digital Lab - costume design

Cooper Hewitt Museum:

Scraps: Fashion Textiles and Creative Re-use

Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Antique Textiles and Modern Design

Museum of the City of New York:

Online Exhibition - Worth and Mainbocher

Museum at FIT:

Upcoming: Force of Nature

Merchant's House Museum:

The Merchant’s House collaborated with 3D modeling firm PaleoWest Archaeology to create an interactive 3D model of the two-piece spring and summer cotton dress, 1862-1865 (MHM 2002.0840), on display through April 29, one of the 39 dresses in the Tredwell Costume Collection. The model allows the viewer to look at the dress from all angles and zoom in on details. In the coming years, as each dress is displayed, we plan on creating similar models of dresses.

Merchant's House Museum Tredwell Dress by PaleoWest Archaeology on Sketchfab

Adrian: Hollywood and Beyond... An exhibit at the Museum at FIT

Gilbert Adrian (1903-1959) built his career as a costume designer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he worked on more than 250 films, including The Wizard of Oz.

I could say more, but really, do you need to know any more than that before coming to see this one?

The recently opened Adrian exhibit is easy to miss, if you aren't looking for it.  Tucked to the side, in the gallery space to the right of the main space, a narrow hallway gives no hint of the beauty it holds until you enter and gaze at the walls.  And seriously, this exhibit is special.  It offers technical (construction, technique and materials) information, as well as beautiful examples of his well-designed garments. This concise presentation is the epitome of a curated complete thought.  This is the kind of presentation the thinking designer could absolutely devour, and a visual explorer would enjoy.

caught my own reflection in the glass there... spooky...

Details on grain lines and technique hangs beside the jacket...

Printed pamphlets explain techniques and methods used...

The literature accompanying this exhibit are very informative and truly expand on the simple appreciation of the garments.

"While best remembered for his tailored daytime looks, Adrian was also a skillful and inventive draper. He used his technique in both his film and fashion work to create glamorous evening gowns."

Can't get here? The exhibition website allows a virtual visit with additional information and a body of work that is sure to amaze and overwhelm you. 

Museum at FIT - Paris Refashioned 1957-1968

This weekend, I visited the Museum at FIT again... see my recent post for the other exhibit, currently on view.

This one was lovely, and definitely took a scholarly approach to what could have been a very standard subject matter.  We all understand the 1950's-60's "look", and, love it or hate it, we can identify it, whether we are of the era or not.  But there was a great deal of food for thought here...

• Studying the demographics and appealing to the lifestyles of the actual women with the ability to spend.

• The role of Paris in the international fashion scene.

• The importance of youth and innovation as partners in propelling fashion forward.

• Challenging tradition, new designers, collaborative work, and the importance of ready-to-wear at the dawning of a new age in the fashion system.

Just one of the many gorgeous and well-made ensembles on display.

Well worth seeing.

Black Designers at the FIT Museum - you won't know unless you go...

When I walked into the exhibit on a Saturday, around 12 PM, I didn't expect a crowd.  But there was one.  I didn't expect a really diverse audience, but there was one.

Two very excited ladies (not Black), oohing and aahing over the pieces heard me talking to the extremely knowledgeable black guard (older gentleman) who gave me book recommendations, and overheard our frenzied chatter about how great the exhibit was, and asked me, "What were you expecting?"

Great question. I don't know that I can answer that. Did I expect hoodies, endless t-shirts, sneakers, jackets and caps, emblazoned with hip-hop themes and street lingo?  Maybe I did.

Pharrell

Clothes you would never otherwise dream of, or see...

Epperson

To follow up on my earlier post on this exhibit, I will share what made it so great.  Click here for the audio tour component of the exhibit, which you can watch from anywhere.

I can only suggest that you go. I saw brilliance.  I saw the work and mention of some people I actually know personally.  I saw recent historical references I understand. I saw magical pieces.  My brain took a leap.  I felt great about what I saw, those pieces, the exhibit, and I knew... THIS exhibit is for me.

I just haven't been able to... (but now I have, and WOW! - more to come)

Update: Now that I have seen this exhibit (today, in fact), I stand ABSOLUTELY corrected.  It was absolutely AMAZING! I will grow this post, and repost with current date when all of my thoughts are gathered.

For the first time, there's an exhibit at FIT that tickled an uncomfortable spot for me...  I'm hesitating to visit the Black Fashion Designers exhibit.  I don't want to not like it.  

But really, what is a black designer doing differently than anyone else with a head, heart and hands? When I looked at comments online, I saw the same reaction.. "What?" So I will go very soon... and I will try to keep an open mind.

Unifiormity exhibit at FIT

The omnipresence of uniforms has shaped our ways of seeing.

-Jennifer Craik (fashion historian) 

Updated: This weekend I saw the Uniformity exhibit, and am updating this post accordingly.  This exhibit isn't a collection of stale uniforms; it actually takes the time to show the uniform's influence on design details, structure, and fabrics used in fashion. It is an intelligent conversation between fashion, inclusion, exclusion and function, worth seeing for a cerebral dose if fashion education.  Less eye-candy than most FIT exhibits, this one will appeal to the thinker/technician/designers among you.

Historically, the exhibit reacher as far back as 1895 (a dress with a "middy" collar) to pieces as modern as a Chanel Fall 2015 "Brasserie Gabrielle" ensemble.  If you think like I do, the featured garments will challenge your definition of what a uniform actually is, and how we identify it. Designed to both fit in and stand out, uniforms are important markers in our daily lives.

http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/uniformity.php

*Trumpet blares First Call/Reveille...


You awake from a deep slumber...

A stern voice announces -

"There is a new exhibit at the FIT Museum. 

Uniformity is its name."

Check it out by clicking the link here.  Then, schedule yourself accordingly, and go! And that's an order!

Denim: Fashion's Frontier

I've gotta give the FIT Museum a round of applause on this one... 

They took a terribly mundane, quotidian subject, and made it... well... fascinating.

If you go in and ponder the pieces, then explore the work and the descriptions for yourself, you will see what joy can be found in the exploration of these denim pieces.  Looking at its evolution, I can see how incredibly important denim is and has been to our American culture/lifestyles, and what it represents in the "bigger picture".  I think this particular exhibit could have gone much deeper, and been a significantly broader study... but they probably limited the discussion and pieces for exactly that reason.

I will show you some personal photographs from this exhibit for your perusal.  

A denim loincloth?  For swimming?  Yes.

Entirely hand stitched brushed cotton and denim jeans - circa 1840

Repurposed denim jacket - circa 1973

Do you love denim?  Wanna work with denim? I have created a DENIM ONLY map of the garment district.  Click here to see it!  Want more map choices? See the Speakeasy Map page!

On view now at the Museum at FIT - "Fairy Tale Fashion"

The term "fairy tale" is often used to describe clothing that is especially lavish, beautiful, and seemingly unattainable... Each of the 15 tales included in Fairy Tale Fashion, ... was selected for its direct references to clothing or its mention of recurring motifs, such as blonde hair or red roses.

- Colleen Hill, curator 

Today I went to the FIT Museum specifically to experience...

This was a wildly creative exhibit, showcasing the work of many designers I have long admired, and the pieces were just breathtaking. On view until April 16, 2016, and I suggest you visit.

Photography is allowed in this exhibit, and I will share some of my personal photos with you, just to share a taste of how wonderful it all was/is.

A Charles James Gown - La Sirene, 1956

The red shoes

Alexander McQueen Asymmetrical Snowflake dress

And the piece that stole my heart...

Red Riding Hood - Comme de Garcons (Rei Kawakubo) - Spring 2015

While there, I decided to check out the other exhibit (upstairs), which was far more fascinating than I ever would have imagined... 

If you'd like to see the exhibit with a group, you might want to check my friend Peter's blog for meet-up information...

Stay tuned for the next post...

FIT Exhibit... The Fashion Underground: Susanne Bartsch

As part of one of this week's Speakeasy excursions, we saw this lovely exhibit in the Special Collections Gallery at the FIT museum.  If you read the description below, it is truly all you need to know to appreciate these wild pieces.  My own pictures are below the description (photography is allowed).

Born in Switzerland, Susanne Bartsch moved to London as a teenager, living there for a decade. “We called her the Swiss Miss,” say old friends from London, where Bartsch was a key figure among the New Romantics. Arriving in New York on Valentine’s Day 1981, Bartsch opened a boutique in Soho while still on a tourist visa. An enthusiastic proponent of 1980s English fashion, she was one of the first New York retailers to import Vivienne Westwood. She also organized fashion shows, such as New London in New York and London Goes to Tokyo, that showcased designers Leigh Bowery, Body Map, and Stephen Jones. But life in 1980s New York was not just a party; AIDS was devastating the community. As her friends began dying, Bartsch notes that she “survived this period by becoming a fundraiser.” In 1989, she organized the Love Ball, one of the first and most important AIDS benefits. Over the next few years, she raised a total of $2.5 million for AIDS research and advocacy.

-FIT museum's description of this exhibit, currently in the special exhibitions gallery.

Related: There will be a FREE two-day symposium on October 22-23, examining the links between Susanne Bartsch's 30 year exploration of sartorial self-expression and its influence on the global fashion scene.

The exhibit will remain in place until December 5, 2015.  It is really quite a creative exploration for people who appreciate theatricality in fashion.  If this appeals to you, be sure to check it out!

Meanwhile, there's an exhibit upstairs in the museum as well.  See the Global Fashion exhibit while you're there!

Heroes of the Garment District - Example #2 - FIT Museum

Let's talk about the Global Fashion Capitals exhibit at FIT. It seemed a particularly American idea, as if to indicate that we Americans are unaware that every human being on the planet who has any disposable income is inclined to have at least some level of an interest in fashion, I was particularly intrigued.  What would this be?

I didn't know what to expect from such a broad topic.  Before reading the brochure, I wasn't sure where they were headed with this exhibit, so I ventured in to see the pieces. I must say it is important to read the brochure or any literature you can before taking this exhibit in, so you don't miss the point here.  Think local AND global.  Think international, think technology, think textiles, think androgynous, think edgy, think city, think opulence, think historical, think modern, or frankly, just think... 

And it is so fabulous that we are now allowed to take pictures and share via social media all we want!

Dior, Balenciaga

McQueen

Claire McCardell

What I found, after some looking around, was an all-inclusive celebration of creativity and innovation.  Many continents represented, many creative directions taken. There is no word that would characterize this entire display, but "artistic" and "individual", are the best ones that come to mind.

Among the works on display, were the designer names anyone would expect - names like Balenciaga, Miyake, Galliano, Chanel, Poiret, Claire McCardell, McQueen etc.  But, I also really appreciated the names I've never heard from the places I've never been.

Here's some eye candy:

Christopher kane, London

This exhibit will be in place for quite some time, and will close on November 12, 2015.  I strongly suggest a visit!

Note: Better photos than mine can be found here.