IN PURSUIT OF FASHION: THE SANDY SCHREIER COLLECTION @THE MET FIFTH AVENUE

#InPursuitOfFashion @MetMuseum

As a teenager visiting New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art with her future husband (Sherwin) in tow, Sandy Schreier declared that her collection would one day grace the halls of the museum. The vision of one of America's foremost collectors of fashion is realized in the Costume Institute's current exhibit In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection at the MET Fifth Avenue. Curated by Costume Institute Head Curator Andrew Bolton, Associate Curator Jessica Regan and Assistant Curator Mellissa Huber, the exhibit includes 80 of a total 165 pieces Schreier has promised to gift to the MET in honor of its 150th anniversary. Keep reading for a look inside...

REI KAWAKUBO / COMME DES GARCONS : ART OF THE IN-BETWEEN @ MET MUSEUM PART 1

 Rei Kawakubo Comme des Garçons The Art of In-Between at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Installation View 9.7 Order / Chaos

Limitless. Shocking. Defiant. 
Breaking from the fashion fold, Rei Kawakubo declares independence from the confines of conventional clothes-making and Commes des Garçons headlines her un-commercial, un-apologetic aesthetic. For "outsiders," a blurring of the legible mold of "fashion"--as defined by figure-flattery and templated garments that account for head, legs and arms--is unsettling. When confronted with the "aggressively unattractive," critical commentary eclipses the sheer brilliance of the petite Japanese designer with an understated personality and overstated design sense. The first Monday this May, the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens its annual Costume Institute exhibit honoring a living designer for only the second time (since Diana Vreeland's retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent in 1983). Rei Kawakubo / Commes des Garçons : Art of the In Between is not so much a retrospective as an introspective of the creator and her collections, once shrouded in an enigmatic aura. Keep reading for a look inside...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

 Bergdorf Goodman celebrates the opening of "China Through the Looking Glass" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in its 5th Ave. Windows

'Daring' describes the dresses of this year's MET Gala. In a firestorm of sartorial ferocity, the fashion forward elite fête China Through the Looking Glass, the new exhibit occupying the Chinese Galleries and Anna Wintour Costume Center. At the heart of the display is a celebration of Asian influence on Western aesthetics. High fashion sits alongside ancient artifacts in a curatorial feat of brilliance. This week's windows at Bergdorf Goodman brings the spirit of China Through the Looking Glass to the public; no long lines here! Have a look inside for more pictures... 

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!)...

MEMORIALIZING CHARLES JAMES @ the MET

Charles James Ball Gowns (1948)/Photo by Cecil Beaton courtesy the MET / Condé Nast Archive

Though his name lacks the bravado of Christian Dior or Cristobal Balanciaga, Charles James was the creator of the Taxi dress, the inspiration behind Dior's New Look of 1947, the father of American couture and now the subject of the first exhibit in the MET Museum's newly renovated Anna Wintour Costume Center. At a press breakfast February 10th, Harold Koda, curator of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), introduced the upcoming exhibit, Charles James: Beyond Fashion. Opening May 8th, the exhibit will occupy the first floor special exhibition galleries along with the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. A press preview will be held on May 5th and the exhibit will run until August 10th. 

JEWELS BY JAR -- CRITIQUE AND ACCLAIM

Cameo and Rose Petal Brooch (2011), Photograph by Jozsef Tari, courtesy of JAR, Paris

Millions of glimmering stones cover a treasure trove of elegant accessories at the MET Museum's Jewels by JAR exhibit--and they're catching the attention of more than an admiring audience. Maybe it's the unconventional lighting or the overwhelming selection on display…or maybe it's a general disdain for luxury enjoyed by the unduly opulent. Since opening in November 2013, the MET's premier retrospective of a living jeweler continues to collect mixed reviews. 

LINKS A LA MODE : WEEK OF 5/9

An eventful week indeed with the MET Gala, and debut of both The Great Gatsby and The MET's PUNK:Chaos to Couture. Oh--and being featured on the IFB weekly round-up is a bonus! Enjoy the posts capturing all the exhibits and excitement leading up and have a look at what others in the blogging community are saying...

PUNK: CHAOS TO COUTURE at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Karl Lagerfeld for House of Chanel, Vogue/March 2011, Photo Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by David Sims 

Add together trash bags, ripped jeans, slashed tops, holes and obscenity and you have the perfect formula for a horrific murder mystery... or maybe the The Metropolitan Museum's upcoming exhibit examining Punk's philosophical impact on fashion. An early morning press preview at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) Monday gives a glimpse into May's upcoming exhibit PUNK:Chaos to Couture. Keep reading for a closer look at what's to come...