Recently in Fashion Category

(This is something new, for me at least, a review of a museum exhibit.)

While in New York this past weekend, I went to the oft-extended Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met, Savage Beauty.  I was impressed by the clothing and related accessories on display, having known almost nothing about the man before except the few "shocking" pieces that rose above the background noise of "who are you wearing" that surrounds big red-carpet affairs. The pieces spanned his post-college work through the last collection he did, which as presented posthumously in the past year, and gave a good evolutionary progression.  The early works show the clear influence of his prior work as a Saville Row tailor, not yet the insanity of the future, and the later pieces show the context of the great insanity that was commonly known.  Alongside the clothing were some of the usual accessories, hats, shoes and jewelry, and some unusual bits, such as laser-cut wood wings and a cast-aluminum corset in the form of a spine and ribs. 

  Where the exhibit really shown was in the displays and related settings.  Each of the rooms had a theme, with the interiors decorated to match, and these were done quite excellently.  Many of the pieces were shown alongside video of the original collection show, including a piece that was spray-painted by robots on stage and a series of chess themed works that played a game.  All of the manikins were masked in some way to hide the blank heads, and even the masks were customized to the exhibit room's theme.
  The only drawback to the exhibition was that there was no clear progression, each room opened onto the next from the middle of a wall, so you could not simply follow the sense of the exhibit to see all the works, which led to weird traffic issues.  There was also a wait to get in, about 30 min when we were there, but it was managed well enough not to be too annoying. 

  Overall I'd say it was much better then I'd thought it would be, highly recommended for anyone interested in fashion, and still recommended for those who just like a good show

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Clearly there's a primordial terror here that has never been exploited before, I call it manchettaphobia

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Apparently when you cross some line in the continuum of weird-looking(Karl Lagerfeld), you get to become art...
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Ordinarily I might think that was over the top, but this is a man willing to be seen in public AND photographed wearing bling of himself, made by Nous Sommes.

and a closeup to prove it's him
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Photographed by Will Davidson for Russh #34


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Or where designs really come from.

Fashematics!

"Fat mummies sit there in front of the television with their chip packets and say skinny models are ugly."   -- Karl Lagerfeld
(from, via)
Now I know he was probably using the British term for mother, but I am much more amused by the vision of overweight mummies sitting there, getting chip-crumbs in their wrappings and complaining how their neighbor has a nicer sarcophagus....

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From the recent Paris Fashion Week, which showcased RTW fashions for spring 2010 comes a perfect example of the importance of angle.  Viktor and Rolf exhibited a collection including heavily chopped tulle.  The first 2 pieces are amusing, but unremarkable



The third, however, at the right angle achieves what must have been its intent

A more direct view of it makes it far less interesting

(Three large pictures from style.com, smaller one from Jacques Brinon/Associated Press, VIA)
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Muammar Qaddaf, or however he transliterates his name these days, brought his vintage crazy to the UN this week, his first address to the GA in the 40 years he's been president.  Celebrate with a gallery of his fashions.  They make the image below look 'tame' (source)


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