REINVENTION & RESTLESSNESS: FASHION IN THE NINETIES @FIT MUSEUM

[L] Versace S/S 1994 | [M] Byron Lars coat dress, red wool crepe embroidered white damask, F/W 1993 | [R] Vivienne Westwood Fall 1996

As a 'Generation X'er,' mix tapes, a discman, slap bracelets and rollerblades are defining artifacts of my life as a 90s teenager. In the final generation before cell / smart phones, sartorial simplicity prevails in the form of overalls (with one--or both-- strap(s) down), tracksuits, spaghetti straps, slip dresses and cargo pants. Curator Colleen Hill's latest exhibit--Reinvention & Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties--at the Museum at FIT considers the trends during "a time that was filled with hope for the future and yet fraught with anxiety...a decade that not only heralded the end of a century but also the end of a millennium" [Colleen Hill]. Keep reading for a look inside... 

GUO PEI: COUTURE BEYOND @SCAD FASH

 Guo Pei: Couture Beyond exhibit at SCAD FASH, Atlanta

Christened "Magnificent Gold," Rihanna's 2015 MET Gala gown, brimming with a 16 foot silken yellow train, exquisite embroidery and thick fur trim stirs a social media sandstorm, prompting memes from "Big Bird" to "poured omelet." Originally created for a 2010 runway collection, the ornate ensemble is the product of 20 months and 50,000 hours at the hand of a solitary artisan. For many, this and the "Danjin" ballgown--a centerpiece at the MET Museum's 2015 Costume Institute exhibit China Through the Looking Glass--is a first encounter with the designer Guo Pei. A year later (2016), the Beijing based couturier becomes the first Chinese member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Continuing the momentum in 2017, 40 of Pei's most impressive couture creations, associated footwear and accessories are on display in her first solo exhibition, Guo Pei: Couture Beyond. Keep reading for a look inside the exhibit at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta...

BATA SHOE MUSEUM PART 1: ART & INNOVATION + STANDING TALL

The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada

While passing through Toronto for my Aunt's 80th birthday banquet, my Honey and I stop at the Bata Shoe Museum on a pay-as-you-will Thursday evening. With 15 minutes until closing, we cycle through the exhibits in record pace. Complementing the semi-permanent exhibit, shoes spread across styles and seasons span 3 rotating exhibit galleries. Keep reading for a look inside... 

BEAUTY--COOPER HEWITT DESIGN TRIENNIAL

Beauty--Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial; Dress by Sanne van Winden + Suzanne va der Aa + Michiel Schuurman, Posters by Vlisco Netherlands

Beyond the beholder, beauty is a measure of elegance, a means of attraction and a stimulating show of grace. In an expansive display, Beauty--Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial is the fifth in an annual showcase of contemporary art. 63 designers explore 7 categorizations of beauty in expressions of Extravagant, Intricate, Ethereal, Transgressive, Emergent and Elemental. Taping into innovative representations,"Beauty is visceral and embodied, not just visual. Beauty strikes the senses. It erupts from sensual invention and it adds endless value to the world we inhabit [source]." Keep reading for a look inside the exhibit...

VALENTINO GARAVANI VIRTUAL MUSEUM

Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum; Themes and Variations

Before the dawn of Louboutin soles (90s) and colored chocolate cupcakes ("red velvet" - 70s), vibrant Valentino Red reigned as the couture color of 60s fashion. Celebrating half a century of sartorial elegance, Valentino Garavani and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti launch a living legacy of atelier Valentino--virtually--in 2011. Thinking beyond traditional means of big-brand capitalism, the emphasis is on access; Valentino Garavani eMuseum is available free of charge, spans 5 decades of archives and occupies a 3D cyberpresence of over 10,000 square meters. Keep reading for a look inside...

GOLDEN GLAMOUR @ THE RISD MUSEUM

Gilded Cuffs on a Callot Soeurs dress, part of Golden Glamour: The Edith Stuyvesant Vanderbilt Gerry Collection on show at RISD Museum

Gold remains a leading indicator of wealth, despite decades of sartorial, technological and political revolution. Whether stacks of bullion, metallic molars or golden eggs, gilded goods announce the presence of prosperity. This weekend, Edith Stuyvesant Vanderbilt Gerry's golden gloves and gilded gowns warranted a pit stop. A sucker for fashion exhibits, I convinced my honey to pause at the Rhode Island School of Design's RISD Museum en route to Cape Cod to check out Golden Glamour. Keep reading for a look inside...

FOREVER NOW @ GUCCI MUSEO, FLORENCE, ITALY

Visit to the Gucci Museo in Florence, Italy 

Once upon a rags-to-riches experience, Guccio Gucci built a leatherworking business and transformed it into an empire with paramount recognition and multi-million dollar earnings. A trademark of Italian luxury, Gucci and its interlocking G's--the initials of its founder--reached a milestone anniversary in 2011. To commemorate 90 years of Italian pride, the Gucci Museo was established in Piazza Della Signora in Florence, both as a tribute to Gucci and as a means of interacting with the public. Emphasizing Gucci's philosophy of "Forever Now," the exhibit space articulates the history and evolution of the Gucci brand and its forté of "re-interpreting the creativity of the past as inspiration for future enterprise" [source: Museum brochure]. Though my closet does not contain Gucci, visiting the museum was a definite highlight of my trip to Italy (second, behind gelato and other consumables). Keep reading for more...

RALPH PUCCI: THE ART OF THE MANNEQUIN @ MAD (PART 1)

Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin at the Museum of Arts and Design

Conceptually creative or anatomically accurate? In fashion, made-to-order extends beyond garments to include the mannequins that showcase the designer looks. From shape to expression, mannequins adopt a sculptural quality that reflect trends the of the times. Monday afternoon's press preview of Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin at the Museum of Arts and Design, showcases the 30-year legacy of the Pucci Studio founded in 1950s New York City. Keep reading for details...

REMARKABLE CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY @ MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

Remarkable Contermporary Jewellery at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

As a visitor, one of the best ways to acquaint myself with a city's history--other than its restaurants--is through its museums. Truth be told, most history isn't supremely appealing and art is only subjectively inviting. Where possible, fashion-related exhibits become a browse-worthy break between coffee stops and outdoor adventures. On a recent weekend day-cation in Montreal, my honey and I stop at the Museum of Fine Arts--partly because of the downpour and partly because we had time to pass before dinner at Joe Beef. Initially interested in the Fabergé exhibit, the experience quickly expands to include Remarkable Contemporary Jewellery. Keep reading for a peek inside… 

DEATH BECOMES HER : A CENTURY OF MOURNING ATTIRE @ MET MUSEUM

Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire press preview at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Black ball gowns and bereavement become the focal point of Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire, the new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Originally an exploration of the "little black dress," the idea has since evolved to showcase the glorious garb of grief during 19th century Europe and America. Melancholy mannequins in white wigs wear mourning attire, many of which are exhibited for the first time. Quotes relating to the somber subject are projected on the walls around the display. Visit the Anna Wintour Costume Institute at the MET Museum from October 21st to February 1, 2015 to enjoy the ensemblage of death's ritualistic étiquette and fashion. Keep reading for a look inside Monday morning's press preview (Please be patient as the photos load!)...

STYLE SCHEDULE: 2014 NYC FASHION EXHIBITS

The Fitting No. 1 (2007) by James Gobel at the Leslie + Lohman Museum's Queer Threads: Crafting Identity & Community exhibition

Happy Martin Luther King Day! As we commemorate Dr. King's courage, legendary accomplishments and vision, note the importance of "having a dream" and its relevance in the contributions of dreamers who defy the limits of creativity. Take a minute to reflect on fashion's revolutionary focus on jewelry, punk/queer style and non-traditional media in 2013, and have a peek at the roster of NYC (and vicinity) exhibits upcoming in 2014... 

FROM SIDEWALK TO CATWALK: THE FASHION WORLD OF JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Jean-Paul Gaultier's exhibit includes state-of-the-art lifelike mannequins

Hey! That mannequin just blinked at me. 

Actually, I meant that person. 

Wait, is that a hologram? 

No! The gown is on a tangible body... but, How...?! 

A crew of male sailors wearing striped dresses and spouting nonsense, a Victorian-style dress with a flattened leopard sewn straight down the middle, Madonna's iconic cone-bra costumes and an assortment of cage attire is just the start of a sensational lineup at the Brooklyn Museum's The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. The dynamic exhibit--curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot and organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts--centers around the accomplishments of Jean Paul Gaultier and fuses traditional photography, garments and sketches with futuristic technology by JoliCoeur International. 

The mannequin does blink...and another one sings...and a couple others speak French…

(Have a look for yourself HERE)

FASHION JEWELRY : THE COLLECTION OF BARBARA BERGER at the MAD

The back room gallery space on the 2nd floor of the MAD

Set in a fantasy world of bountiful bijoux, visitors are struck with bejewled brilliance as they enter the second floor gallery space of the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). With the opening of Fashion Jewelry: The Collection of Barbara Berger, the MAD has on display nearly 500 pieces from Berger's personal collection spanning from vintage 1920's to modern day and representing both contemporary and established designers. With over 4,000 pieces in her personal collection, Berger comments "It's a LOT of work to put together a show--each piece is hand-picked!"

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Bergdorf Goodman, 57th St. Windows

Spring has sprung and summer is soon to follow. Vibrant colors and beautiful weather lure previously-apartment-bound adventurers outside to indulge in the cryptic curiousity of what could be. Satiate your inner expressionist--indulge in art or make some! Break out the canvases, dust off the cameras and venture into the great outdoors to seize endless possibilities of creative ecstasy. Infinite opportunities abound. 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Bergdorf Goodman Windows on 57th St.

2013 has dawned and the chill of winter encourages us to burrow deeper in bubble baths and blankets to keep warm. Endless options of indoor pursuits come to light. For one, the theater is a magical place where plush seats, creative costumes, hearty laughs and talented acts poke our imaginations. HINT:Take advantage of the upcoming 2 for 1 Broadway Week! This week's windows inspire cool escapes that may be worth braving the cold outdoors--if only for a moment!