Monthly Archives: February 2016

[Red Carpet] 88th Annual Academy Awards ’16

Posted in Artist, Award Ceremonies, Designer, Fashion, Red Carpet by

Tonight the 88th Annual Academy Awards were held. The starlets wore designer gowns and showed off a more traditional old hollywood feel. It was difficult to pick a best dressed, since so many of them were stunning.

The first five actresses that graced the red carpet were Charlize Theron in Dior Couture, Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, Margot Robbie in Tom Ford, Cate Blanchet in Armani Prive and Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein.

[L to R] Charlize Theron in Valentino, Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, Margot Robbie in Diane Von Furstenburg, Cate Blanchet in Armani Prive and Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein.

[L to R] Charlize Theron, Lady Gaga, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchet and Saoirse Ronan.

The following leading ladies did not fail to impress either Olivia Munn in Stella McCartney, Priyanka Chopra in Zahir Murad, Daisy Ridley in Chanel Haute Couture, Jennifer Garner in Versace and Jessi Cruickshank in our own Luis Antonio.

[L to R] Olivia Munn in Stella McCartney, Priyanka Chopra in Zahir Murad, Daisy Ridley in Chanel Haute Couture, Jennifer Garner in Versace and Jessi Cruickshank in Luis Antonio.

[L to R] Olivia Munn, Priyanka Chopra, Daisy Ridley, Jennifer Garner and Jessi Cruickshank.

As for these starlets they went out on a limb and changed up there usual style for things the where more on the edgy and Haute Couture side: Kerry Washington in Versace, Olivia Wild in Valentino Haute Couture, Rooney Mara in Givenchy Haute Couture, Sophie Vergara in Marchesa and Mindy Kailing in Elizabeth Kennedy.

[L to R] Kerry Washington in Versace, Olivia Wild in Valentino Haute Couture, Rooney Mara in Givenchy Haute Couture, Sophie Vergara in Marchesa and Mindy Kailing in Elizabeth Kennedy,

[L to R] Kerry Washington, Olivia Wild, Rooney Mara, Sophie Vergara and Mindy Kailing.

The men of the Oscars were no doubt adventurous and stylish. The dared to think out of the box in styling, texture and color scheme. They definitely dressed as hollywood royalty: Jared Leto in Gucci, Eddie Redmayne in Alexander McQueen, Common in Dolce & Gabbana, Sam Smith in Dun Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in Armani.

[L to R] Jared Leto in Gucci, Eddie Redmayne in Alexander McQueen, Common in Dolce & Gabbana, Sam Smith in Dun Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in Armani.

[L to R] Jared Leto, Eddie Redmayne, Common, Sam Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio.

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[Exhibit] The Women of Harper’s Bazaar, 1936–1958

Posted in Art, Exhibit, Fashion, History, Inspiration by

The Women of Harper’s Bazaar, 1936–1958 focuses on a pivotal time in the history of Harper’s Bazaar magazine. The exhibition explores the dynamic collaboration among Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Carmel Snow, fashion editor Diana Vreeland, and photographer Louise Dahl-Wolfe, who reinvigorated Harper’s Bazaar by combining their individual talents.  Drawing from The Museum at FIT’s extensive collection of Louise Dahl-Wolfe’s color photographs—donated by the photographer herself—the exhibition highlights original photographs shown alongside nine garments by Christian Dior, Charles James, Mainbocher, Claire McCardell, and Carolyn Schnurer that exemplify the vast array of captivating styles featured in Harper’s Bazaar.

[L to R] Model Jean Patchett in a Carolyn Schnurer top. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, December 1952; Carolyn Schnurer, top, 1952.

[L to R] Model Jean Patchett in a Carolyn Schnurer top. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, December 1952; Carolyn Schnurer, top, 1952.

The exhibition opens with an embroidered, elephant-motif top by American designer Carolyn Schnurer. This piece epitomizes the designer’s whimsical sportswear, perfectly suited to an American woman’s lifestyle during the era. It is paired with a photograph of the same garment in an inverted color scheme that was featured in the December 1952 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

The exhibition continues with sections dedicated to each of the three women, showcasing their individual contributions. Carmel Snow had a forward-thinking attitude and, to quote her niece and successor Nancy White, was a “genius for picking other people of genius.” Diana Vreeland took an imaginative approach to fashion styling, and Louise Dahl-Wolfe explored advancements in color photography and pioneered on-location shooting in destinations such as Egypt and São Paulo. Their talents combined to make Harper’s Bazaar a definitive fashion magazine of the time.
[L to R] Model wearing the Mystère coat by Christian Dior in Paris at Malmaison. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, November 1947; Christian Dior New York, coat, 1954.

[L to R] Model wearing the Mystère coat by Christian Dior in Paris at Malmaison. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, November 1947; Christian Dior New York, coat, 1954.

The impact of the women’s collaborative process is demonstrated through a series of photographs and documents. On display are personal letters between Carmel Snow and model Mary Jane Russell describing a memorable fashion editorial from the Paris collections of 1951. Behind-the-scenes photographs and outtakes document the famous 1942 Arizona desert photo shoot at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pauson house—styled by Vreeland—during which she stepped in front of the camera after model Bijou Barrington fell ill from heat stroke.
[L to R] Model Betty Threat in a Charles James evening dress. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, April 1947; Charles James, evening dress, circa 1952.

[L to R] Model Betty Threat in a Charles James evening dress. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, April 1947; Charles James, evening dress, circa 1952.

Video footage from the documentaries Louise Dahl-Wolfe: Painting with Light and Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel offer a glimpse into each woman’s personality. Copper-plates and the resulting color proofs reveal the steps of Louise Dahl-Wolfe’s working process.  Additionally, four large scale reproductions of Dahl-Wolfe photographs featured in the magazine will be paired with related garments that mimic the fashion seen in the images.

[L to R] Model Jean Patchett in Alhambra, Granada Spain wearing a Givenchy ensemble. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, June 1953; Diana Vreeland modeling at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pauson house in Arizona. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, January 1942; Model Bijou Barrington on location in Arizona. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, January 1942.

[L to R] Model Jean Patchett in Alhambra, Granada Spain wearing a Givenchy ensemble. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, June 1953; Diana Vreeland modeling at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pauson house in Arizona. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, January 1942; Model Bijou Barrington on location in Arizona. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, January 1942.

  • A gray wool jersey swimsuit by Claire McCardell in the designer’s signature style is shown with a photo of a similar design from the May 1946 issue of the magazine.
  • A 1948 Mainbocher gray wool suit with exquisite scrollwork is paired with a photograph in which the model wears a pith helmet and holds an hourglass, exemplifying what the magazine called “the covert look.”
  • A 1954 Christian Dior black coat is used to simulate Dior’s famous Mystère coat from his groundbreaking 1947 collection, as it appeared in a Dahl-Wolfe photograph. The similarities between the two garments highlight the lasting impact of the collection that Snow christened “A New Look.”
  • An evening gown by designer Charles James is juxtaposed with a Louise Dahl-Wolfe photograph that mimics the structural silhouettes of American evening wear represented in the magazine.
[L to R] Model Betty Bridges in Tijuca, Brazil wearing a Claire McCardell swimsuit. Photography by Louise Dahl- Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, May 1946; Claire McCardell, swimsuit, 1946.

[L to R] Model Betty Bridges in Tijuca, Brazil wearing a Claire McCardell swimsuit. Photography by Louise Dahl- Wolfe, color proof, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, May 1946; Claire McCardell, swimsuit, 1946.

The Women of Harper’s Bazaar, 1936-1958 is the first exhibition to focus on the interaction between these three individuals, highlighting collaboration as an essential component of the creative process. With their brilliant colors, arresting compositions, and faraway locales, the Louise Dahl-Wolfe photographs that comprise the heart of the exhibition convey an idea of fashion as a conduit to a more vivid existence.

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[Exhibit] The Costume Institute’s: ‘Manus X Machina’

Posted in Art, Exhibit, Fashion, Inspiration by
The Met's next fashion exhibit will seek to reconcile the oppositional relationship between the hand (manus) and the machine (machina).

The Met’s next fashion exhibit will seek to reconcile the oppositional relationship between the hand (manus) and the machine (machina).

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s  press preview for the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibit, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” head curator Andrew Bolton touched on the traditionally dichotomous relationship between the handmade and machine-made in fashion, and the blurring of the two disciplines in the creation of haute couture and ready-to-wear.

Bolton started off by noting that since the birth of haute couture in the 19th century, the hand and the machine had been constructed as “discordant instruments of the creative process,” with the former seen as a symbol of “detrimental nostalgia” by its opponents, and the latter as a symbol of inferiority and dehumanization. With this exhibit, which opens in May, the Costume Institute hopes to “suggest a spectrum of practices whereby the hand and the machine are mutual protagonists in solving design problems.”

[L to R] Chanel Haute Couture Suit 63-68, Chanel Haute Couture wedding ensemble F/W 2014-2015

[L to R] Chanel Haute Couture Suit 63-68, Chanel Haute Couture wedding ensemble F/W 2014-2015

To that end, the exhibit will feature more than 100 pieces of haute couture and ready-to-wear, to be shown at both the Robert Lehman Collection galleries and the Anna Wintour Costume Center galleries. The latter will focus more on the traditional aspects of haute couture, and will resemble a traditional maison de couture, while the former will present a series of case studies, “unraveling the mythologies of the hand/machine conundrum.” Traditional métiers of haute couture, such as embroidery and featherwork, will be presented alongside innovative techniques like 3-D printing and computer modeling.

YSL Couture evening dress F/W 69-70

YSL Couture evening dress F/W 69-70

Some items at the press preview included: a machine-sewn, hand-finished white synthetic scuba knit Chanel haute couture wedding ensemble, which, according to Bolton, served as the inspiration for the exhibit; an Iris van Herpen haute couture dress with hand-stitched strips of laser-cut silicone features and hand-applied gull skulls; and a Chanel haute couture suit with 3-D printed white polyamide overlay.

[L to R] Iris van Herpen couture dress F/W 2010, Iris van Herpen couture dress F/W 2013-2014

[L to R] Iris van Herpen couture dress F/W 2010, Iris van Herpen couture dress F/W 2013-2014

The exhibit will run from May 5 to Aug. 14, and designers in the exhibit will include Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Alber Elbaz, Karl Lagerfeld, Iris van Herpen, Rei Kawakubo, Raf Simons, Miuccia Prada, Christopher Kane and more.

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