This past weekend, I dropped by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for about two hours, which was a delight and an unexpected luxury. I usually don't have any time anymore to spare for museums or long walks or shows or even movies, even on the weekends. I seem to be always booked solid, which is tragic, especially while living in New York City, where there is always so much to learn and see and experience. But my family was in town, so I kept them company on Saturday at the Met before I had to rush back downtown for my call time for a show.
The Costume Institute at the Met has always been on my list. However, I've never actually gone. This is firstly because I have never found it. Never in my nearly-two-years in New York City have I gone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and actually located the Costume Institute gallery. On Saturday, I actually found it. The entrance is in a deep cove on the first floor, which leads you downstairs to a sexy, dimly-lit basement area. There, I saw the BlogMode: Addressing Fashion exhibit, which was totally thrilling and gorgeous! I was expecting to see lots of stuffy costumes from theater and film, which would have been interesting too, but lo and behold: THERE WERE ACTUAL CLOTHES HERE. Galliano. Chanel. Vivenne Westwood. Dior. It was a pink satin lacy patterned orgasm; a dream come true. The dresses down there in that basement were absolute masterpieces. Some actually were costumes, others were reconstructed historical pieces, but most were from recent collections designed by names we have all heard of.
Below is my favorite piece, the piece I went back to see today. And it was even more stunning, seeing it the second time around!
This is Vivenne Westwood's "Propaganda" Dress, from her Fall/Winter 2006-2007 collection. How delectable is this dress? It's creamy, yet sturdy and shaped, and its folds are spontaneous yet elegant. The fabric is called "faille," which I just looked up on Google. It creates a big, lush skirt, and yet the lightness of the material is still conserved. Oh, it's just exquisite, isn't it? I just want to slip inside of it and run down some marble stairs, hearing the silky bulkiness behind me swish against the floor.
Wonderful. Check out the entire exhibit online here: http://blog.metmuseum.org/blogmode/
Picture source: Met Blog
