Fashion is Art at the Met

Looking back on fashion history, it’s all so amazing and very dramatic, and the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute exhibit ‘Costume & Art,’ tells the story. Stars gathered and enjoyed dressing for The Met Gala’s theme, “Fashion is Art” and the red-carpet was filled with stars from stage, screen, movie, music, sports and fashion, who were all dressed to the nines, donning top designer looks. The looks were gorgeous.

For this Met Gala star-studded event, the press including photographers, network TV cameras, editors and fans, were lining 5th Avenue in front of the Met from early Monday morning. Many side streets were closed. Some stars were sighted and arrived early just to be interviewed.

The Costume Institute’s “Costume & Art” exhibition space was designed by Nathan Rich, one of the architects of the space. He hosted a tour of the exhibit for the press preview. Fashion displays unveiled the mystery behind what people wear and why. Walking through a draped hallway, you turn a corner to find a mannequin in a white and gold gown standing at the entrance.

Exhibit attendees can gaze upon high-fashioned mannequins on high and low levels in glass displays with photographs on the bottom. The message is clear, this exhibit is all about the style, dressing and how it has affected our lives. It was nice to meet Lana Turner as I was on my way to view the exhibit. She looked stunning in a matador hat and outfit.

Starting back in the 18th century, fashion focused on shapes. Women used corsets, bustles and panniers to shape their dresses with large skirts and tight bodices. Back then, wearing bustles and corsets with stays and laces were common, as well as panniers (hoops) that were an important part of the fashion look in shaping their bodies and clothes. By the late 20th century, women reclaimed their bodies.

For the 2014 “skin series,” designers like Tamae Hirokawa introduced the tattoo-like motifs for signature “second skinned” body suits. Hand-embroidered glass beads and spangles bestowed three-dimensional typography on textiles, which were intricately knitted on computers. The contours of the body were finally accepted. Bodysuits were news!

In another section, the mortal body is important. Can clothes disguise old age? In this era, there were more skeletons and skull designs printed on garments. You could even view actual sets of bones in different shapes and sizes on display in another section. It showed that fashion has a relationship with the grave. Change and what you wear are important. Prints, patterns and patchworks are shown and displayed throughout the exhibit.

For the intricate designs on a woman’s gown, in the back, at waistlines and on long skirts, the detailing was exquisite. Handbags were also included at the end of the exhibit, showing the importance of long and short shoulder straps and handbag handles.

In today’s fashion, anything goes. Folks dress in clothes that make them feel comfortable. Of course, looking fabulous plays a big part. For museum hours and tickets, visit metmuseum.org.