FANCY: Costumes, Characters and the Richmond Masque @the Valentine

Fancy: Costumes, Character and the Richmond Masque at the Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia

On the drive back from our Memorial Day weekend visit to Virginia, we stop at the Valentine Museum and stumble onto a remarkable slice of Richmond's fashion history. From the outside, the stout brick building at the corner of Clay and 10th feels unassuming, almost easy to miss. Inside, visitors are greeted with something unexpectedly rich. FANCY: Costumes, Characters, and the Richmond Masque is the kind of exhibit that surprises you with its intimacy and depth. Spanning from the 19th century to the present day, it offers a vivid look at the capital city’s layered culture through the lens of costume and self-expression. Keep reading for a look inside... 

DEAR FUTURE: ELEVATING CHILDREN'S VOICES

Dear Future: Elevating Children's Voices @FIT highlights the stories of children living in an orphanage in Cali, Colombia

As I hug my son, drop him off and go about my daily routine, it's difficult to fully grasp the plight of the eight million children in institutionalized care worldwide. Dear Future: Elevating Children's Voices in the Art & Design Gallery at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) offers a poignant glimpse into the "possibilities that emerge when vulnerable children are given the space to dream" [source].The exhibit serves as a powerful reminder of opportunity and opportunity cost, underscoring the importance of nurturing potential. Visitors "explore the children's rich life tapestry through a combination of photography, video work, and vibrant installations." Keep reading to for a closer look...

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: WOMAN IN CHARGE

Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge installation

 

With vibrant flair and intentional sass, striking florals and bold geometric shapes wrap the walls of Diane von Furstenberg's West side flagship, echoing the essence of her signature dresses. Curated by Nicolas Lor, the installation features a stunning array of films, archival pieces, photographs and personal notes. This life-sized scrapbook is centered around four central themes: Feminism, Woman, Fashion and Freedom, complementing the documentary Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge released on June 25th. What a timely topic as we enter a presidential race with a woman on the ballot! Keep reading for a look inside...

FROM THE DEEP IN THE WAKE OF DREXCIYA WITH AYANA V. JACKSON @NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART

The Self-Forgetfulness of Belonging Will Never Be Mine I as part of the FROM THE DEEP exhibit at the National Museum of African Art

Taking a break from school and work, we road trip to DC for the annual White House Egg Roll. While the boys took a moment to detox from the drive, I make a brief stop at the National Museum of African Art to check out the latest exhibit, From the Deep In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson. Inspired by the 1990s techno band Drexciya, Anya V. Jackson presents a fusion of costume, sound, scent and video offering visitors a multi-sensory experience. Keep reading for a look inside.

The Story of Newark Fashion: Atelier to Runway @The Newark Museum

Installation view of The Story of Newark Fashion: Atelier to Runway @Newark Museum

With a glimpse of the iconic New York City skyline, the vibrant streets of Newark, New Jersey breed sophistication, craftsmanship and culture. In the mid-20th century, Newark's fashion repertoire emerges with designer Wesley Tank and milliner Emily Miles. Their innovative work paves the way for a burgeoning fashion scene and visionaries like Shavi Lewis, Narcisco Rodriguez and Jerry Grant. The Newark Museum's new exhibit, The Story of Newark Fashion: Atelier to Runway celebrates the evolution of the city's fashion scene, tracing its roots and paying tribute to its pioneers. Keep reading for a look inside... 

GENERATION PAPER: A FASHION PHENOM OF THE 1960s @MAD MUSEUM

Installation view of Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s at Museum of Arts and Design (@MADMuseum)

With a stroke of luck (and a stock of Dura-Weave or Reemay), mass marketing created a fleeting fashion fad of the 1960s. Perhaps moderately eclipsed by the socio-political and cultural events of the time (Space Race, counter culture, civil rights, politics), disposable dresses-- in prints, plaids and plain--are the highlight of the MAD Museum's latest fashion exhibit, Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s. Eighty rare garments and accessories are showcased alongside insightful commentary in a full-floor exhibit. Keep reading for a look inside...   

VIRGIL ABLOH "FIGURES OF SPEECH" @ BROOKLYN MUSEUM

What is Virgil Abloh? No, 7 (2017) photograph by Juergen Teller in Virgil Abloh "Figures of Speech" @BrooklynMuseum

Look here, look there--something fresh, something said. Something high, something low--all created with vision, passion and inspiration. Virgil Abloh "Figures of Speech" has landed at the Brooklyn Museum, after originating in Chicago and making stops in Atlanta, Boston and Qatar. With context, "Powerful" describes the installation honoring the last 2 decades of Abloh's legacy and "Considerate" describes the man being honored. A proverbial Jack of all Trades, Virgil Abloh shattered all limitations of "designer" or "artist," instead identifying as "Maker." Keep reading for a look inside...    

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... 

WILLI SMITH: STREET COUTURE @COOPER HEWITT

Entry to Willi Smith: Street Couture at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Venture through the chain-link fence and step into a legacy that was lost two decades ago. Though a seemingly unusual aesthetic for the Cooper Hewitt, Willi Smith: Street Couture brings forward a retrospective of the most commercially successful Black American designer and cultural catalyst of the 20th century. With a modern twist, the exhibit "surveys Smith's pathbreaking imagination of an inclusive, collaborative and playful new society" [Cooper Hewitt]. Curator Alexandra Cunningham Cameron--Curator of Contemporary Design and Hintz Secretarial Scholar--successfully shines the spotlight on an under-appreciated designer whose success was largely eclipsed by the popular European designers of his time. Keep reading for a look inside...

STUDIO 54 @ Brooklyn Museum

Studio 54 Night Magic at the Brooklyn Museum / #Studio54bkm

Before COVID-19 effectively shut down NYC (and the world!), I walked though a rare snapshot-in-time at the press preview of the Brooklyn Museum's Studio 54: Night Magic (March 11th). While the exhibit has yet to open to the public, its 650+ objects--from logo sketches, to costumes worn, to photographs capturing once-in-a-ifetime moments, to paper invitations and tickets, to the actual liquor license for Studio 54--account for an era of revolution and cultural transformation. My post is long overdue, but better late than never! Keep reading for a peek inside the exhibit that captures the essence of the iconic night club that helped rebrand New York City.    

HARRY BENSON: BEHIND THE SCENES @STALEY-WISE GALLERY

Donna Karan and Louis Dell'Olio for Anne Klein (1982) from Harry Benson: Behind the Scenes @Staley Wise Gallery

A photographer's instinct powerfully captures unparalleled moments. Offering a rare focus on fashion through the lens of renowned socio-political photojournalist Harry Benson, Staley Wise Gallery is exhibiting a series of 90 photographs--in time for the photographer's 90th birthday. Harry Benson: Behind the Scenes features the fashion industry's most influential icons (Bill Blass, Geoffrey Beene, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Pierre Cardin, Valentino and more) during the 'golden age' of American fashion. Keep reading for a look inside... 

THE WORLD OF ANNA SUI @MAD MUSEUM

3 Retro looks--part of The World of Anna Sui @MAD Museum

Rock 'n Roll meets retro-romance in the sentiment and style of NYC design icon Anna Sui. In a new retrospective at the Museum of Arts and Design, The World of Anna Sui, categorizes Sui's career milestones into thirteen themes complemented by sketches, photographs and runway footage. On view are 75 pieces from Sui's first runway show in 1991 to her Spring 2019 collection. Keep reading to see photos from the press preview... 

MAKING MAISEL MARVELOUS @PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA

 Making Maisel Marvelous @ Paley Center for Media celebrating Amazon's series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

While season 3 of Amazon's highly acclaimed The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is expected to release in "winter 2019," fans can find a temporary fix by experiencing a free, immersive exhibit of the show at the Paley Center for Media. Opening this past Saturday, Making Maisel Marvelous features actual show sets, costumes and instagram-able backdrops from the show's second season. Visitors can try their hand at stand-up-comedy on the set of the Arthritis Tel-a-thon, snap photos in the booth from the Stage Deli and see styles worn by Rachel Brosnahan up close. Keep reading for a look inside...

PIERRE CARDIN: FUTURE FASHION @THE BROOKYLN MUSEUM

Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion at The Brooklyn Museum / Illumination display with Cadin's robes électroniques 

These days, the mention of "Pierre Cardin," reverts to a logo with the swirly "P" and a fashion house of parents or generations past. With fading prominence and the lack of a retail presence, a New York retrospective is a timely reminder of the French fashion great. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion opens July 20th at the Brooklyn Museum. At the press preview Wednesday morning, Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture praises Cardin as a "disruptor" of his time and declares, "This is an opportunity to reacquaint people with him... and make new friends." Keep reading for a look inside the exhibit and Pierre Cardin's futuristic vision... 

THIERRY MUGLER: COUTURISSIME @MUSEE DES BEAUX-ARTS de MONTREAL

Metamorphosis gallery at Thierry Mugler: Couturissime @Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal / projection & special effects by Rodeo FX

He's clothed some of the glitziest celebrities and worked with the world's most notable photographers. Yet--until now--Thierry Mugler (a.k.a Manfred) has eluded the lure of public exhibition. In a first-of-its-kind showcase meticulously curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal invites visitors to participate in a 6-Act "tragédie glamouresque." Thierry Mugler: Couturissime is a celebration of 150 of Mugler's most iconic pieces, photographs and video spanning 40 years between 1974 and 2014. Keep reading for a look inside...

CAMP: NOTES ON FASHION @MET MUSEUM

[M] Pam Hogg's pink synthetic tulle headpiece and an installation view of the final area of "Camp: Notes on Fashion" at the MET Museum

Contrary to the thought of tents and wilderness culled by the word 'camp', the MET Museum's 2019 Spring fashion displayage focuses on aestheticism and the French phrase "se camper" or "to flaunt." Based on Susan Sontag's 1964 essay "Notes on Camp," Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton conceives an exhibit as expansive and enigmatic as the defining pieces. Fabio Cleto says "Camp is a question mark that won't let its line be straightened up into an exclamation mark" (1999). Mark Booth declares, "Camp is cultural slumming" (1983). Caryl Flinn states, "Camp is the rediscovery of history's waste." Susan Sontag illustrates "camp" in 58 bullets, including its characteristic as "the spirit of extravagance" (1964). Embodying elements of irony, ecstasy, parody, exaggeration and humor, what IS "camp?" Keep reading for a look inside Camp: Notes of Fashion...

FRIDA KAHLO: APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING @Brooklyn Museum

Self portrait with monkeys painting by Frida Kahlo (1943) at the Brooklyn Museum for Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving

"Malfatte" comes to mind when inching through the new Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Brooklyn museum. A loose iteration of 'misbehave,' Malfatte is a Venetian label under which prisoners (Santa Maria Maggiore Men's Prison) make and sell stylish wares. Attending a press preview for Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving in early February, my mind drifts back to Venice as Frida Kahlo's life and posthumous fame embodies similar elements of rebellion, defiance, confinement, survival, creativity and patriotism. Keep reading to have a look... 

RODARTE @NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

RODARTE on view at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (DC) // White Swan costume (2010), worn in the movie Black Swan

Elements of intimacy exude, both in the vision and execution of Kate and Laura Mulleavy's pieces for Rodarte. In a simply titled survey of styles from a singular brand, "Rodarte" allows access to the inspiration behind 13 years of collection churn. Childhood horror movies, the California landscape, gardens--the premise of which are deeply personal to the designers--aptly capture emotion with dialed down commercialism and dialed up details. Keep reading for a closer look...

FABRIC IN FASHION @FIT MUSEUM

Fabric in Fashion: [L] Bob Bugnand (1958-59) / [M] Jacques Griffe gold Lurex evening dress (1958) / [R] Christian Dior (1962) satin evening dress

Over the last 250 years, fabric in fashion evolves as a symbol of both style and status.  Definitions of class and social structure shift from emphasizing fibers and construction technique to scalability and brand recognition. Though fabric remains the foundation of fashion, its cultural significance unfolds with time. Fabric in Fashion--the latest exhibit at the Museum at FIT--analyzes the morphing role of textiles through history. Keep reading for a look inside...

JEWELRY: THE BODY TRANSFORMED @MET MUSEUM

Necklace elements (found near Bérchules, Alpujarra late 15th -16th century), part of Jewelry: The Body Transformed @METMuseum

Pretty and purposeful, "jewelry is defined primarily through its connection to and interaction with the body--extending it, amplifying it, accentuating it, distorting it, concealing it, or transforming it" [foreword to Jewelry: The Body Transformed]. No matter material or medium, sentiment is embodied in adornment. Opening November 12th, the MET Museum's Jewelry: The Body Transformed dissects the bejeweled significance of history, function, conviction and design in relation to ornamental pieces. Keep reading to see snaps from Monday's press preview...