Art in Fashion in NYC just got a great big boost!
It was just announced that the Costume Institute will be the recipient of a $10 million dollar gift from Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch. The gift will be used for the Costume Institute’s renovation, and the creation of a 4,200-square-foot exhibition space within it. See the full article from WWD below:
The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is getting a major boost from Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch.
The philanthropic Manhattan couple is making a $10 million gift to the museum, which will go toward The Costume Institute’s renovation, and the creation of a 4,200-square-foot exhibition space within it. The wing will be called the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery.
“It’s going to transform our whole area,” Harold Koda, curator in charge of the Costume Institute, said of the complete renovations, which will start next year.
Koda said that, since the early Nineties, the institute featured fixed glass vitrines in its permanent space.
“Although it allowed people to get closer to the objects, it was always something that the public resisted,” Koda said. “They wanted more of a sense of the tactility of the objects, because costume is as much about materials as it is about the sculptural quality of the piece. There was always a sense that by just having this interface, it was difficult to consider the surfaces of our objects.”
The new configuration will address this with rotating installations. “It will allow us to completely revisit the configuration with much more flexibility,” Koda said, adding that it will allow the museum to incorporate new technology and lighting systems, “at a time when both Andrew [Bolton, curator] and I are considering different ways of presenting costume.”
Other costume-related exhibition galleries, study collections and a conservation center will also be refurbished.
Together with the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, which it took over in 2009, the Costume Institute has about 35,000 pieces in its collection.
Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch explained how fashion, art and culture are becoming increasingly intertwined. “The renovation of the Costume Institute will give this interrelationship the proper focus it deserves at the museum,” the couple said. “The new gallery will allow young designers and students to see and learn while advancing both art history and the art of fashion design.”
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Silhouettes taking a high profile in Fashion and Media
Silhouettes are appearing all over, from magazine covers to bus stop shelters. Rather than individual silhouettes, the predominate framing here is as a product "mash-up" or collage. Fantastic, artful way to present collections or product groupings. Here are some notable examples:
W Magazine, September 2010
Barney's Windows, Fall 2010
Petit Bateau Window, NYC
Book Cover: The Geometry of Pasta
Bus Stop Shelter, Tribeca, NYC: Mechanic Advert
Supima Market Bag
Friday, January 7, 2011
Fashion in Art at the Met
Who knew that high heel shoes were the rage in 6th Century B.C. Greece?!
Or that 12th century men finding their calves to be lacking in definition would actually pad their stockings?
Or that it was perfectly acceptable for physical fit young Roman men to attend parties in the nude, talking about minimalist fashion!
I learned these and many other fun facts during a fabulous afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum, taking the "Fashion in Art" tour organized by The Costume Institute.
"Fashion in Art" is a fascinating tour that uses works of art to illustrate the development of fashion starting with sixth century greece all the way to the present day. The works we viewed were widely varied as well including everything from marble statuary, a fresco from Pompeii to a 12th century tapestry and a 20th century conceptual art piece.
Our tour group was small; a couple from Chile, a woman from New Zealand, myself and a colleague from Supima. The docent for our tour, Susan Jonas, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It really was an afternoon well spent. Below are some of the works that we viewed:
The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than 35,000 costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries. The Costume Institute's Harold Koda (Curator in Charge) and Andrew Bolton (Curator) create two special exhibitions each year. Recent thematic exhibitions have included Poiret: King of Fashion (2007); Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (2008); and The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion (2009).
Of special interest and not to be missed is their upcoming exhibition , Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, which will be on view from May 4 through July 31, 2011. No doubt it will be the most talked about show this year.
Or that 12th century men finding their calves to be lacking in definition would actually pad their stockings?
Or that it was perfectly acceptable for physical fit young Roman men to attend parties in the nude, talking about minimalist fashion!
I learned these and many other fun facts during a fabulous afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum, taking the "Fashion in Art" tour organized by The Costume Institute.
"Fashion in Art" is a fascinating tour that uses works of art to illustrate the development of fashion starting with sixth century greece all the way to the present day. The works we viewed were widely varied as well including everything from marble statuary, a fresco from Pompeii to a 12th century tapestry and a 20th century conceptual art piece.
Our tour group was small; a couple from Chile, a woman from New Zealand, myself and a colleague from Supima. The docent for our tour, Susan Jonas, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It really was an afternoon well spent. Below are some of the works that we viewed:
The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than 35,000 costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries. The Costume Institute's Harold Koda (Curator in Charge) and Andrew Bolton (Curator) create two special exhibitions each year. Recent thematic exhibitions have included Poiret: King of Fashion (2007); Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (2008); and The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion (2009).
Of special interest and not to be missed is their upcoming exhibition , Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, which will be on view from May 4 through July 31, 2011. No doubt it will be the most talked about show this year.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Narciso Rodriguez and Jonah Bokaer
Among the many collaborations between artists and designers featured at the MOVE! event at MoMA PS1, a standout was the installation by Narciso Rodriguez and Jonah Bokaer.
Visitors entered the room through black curtains and were immediately confronted by a plush wall of Supima cotton. Navigating to the side of the sensory inspiring touch panel, the room, painted all in black, opened to reveal a single illuminated platform at the center.
Jonah Bokaer's specialty in the art world is performance, specifically choreographed movement. Dressed in a leotard designed by Narciso Rodriguez made of Supima/Modal knit fabric by FesslerUSA , performers "awoke" from a recumbent position to roll and stretch and dip on the platform. All this activity took place , all in very serene slow motion, to a background of low chanting music.
It drew many admirers, including this one who went back numerous times to take in the experience.
Visitors entered the room through black curtains and were immediately confronted by a plush wall of Supima cotton. Navigating to the side of the sensory inspiring touch panel, the room, painted all in black, opened to reveal a single illuminated platform at the center.
Jonah Bokaer's specialty in the art world is performance, specifically choreographed movement. Dressed in a leotard designed by Narciso Rodriguez made of Supima/Modal knit fabric by FesslerUSA , performers "awoke" from a recumbent position to roll and stretch and dip on the platform. All this activity took place , all in very serene slow motion, to a background of low chanting music.
It drew many admirers, including this one who went back numerous times to take in the experience.
Images from the performance
Supima Touch Wall
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Cotton Cotton Everywhere
Here is an image of an installation at a store I love, 45rpm at 169 Mercer Street in SoHo (http://www.rby45rpm.com/index2.php). This brand has an unrivalled level of focus on the raw materials and fabrics that they use in their collection. The raw cotton shown in the photo is from india and is what they use for many of the shirtings in the store. Always a great place to check on!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Cynthia Rowley + Olaf Bruening at MoMA PS1 MOVE!
Art in Fashion were at their best at MOVE! this past weekend at MoMA PS1. See below images from a great collaboration between designer Cynthia Rowley and artist Olaf Bruening. Rowley created over 100 designs from Supima Denim provided by Kurabo Company in Japan. Then in a precisely orchestrated process, the designs were placed on models who were then doused with a carefully calibrated color mix of Valspar house paint. Each of these performances was videotaped and photographed with before and after shots of the designs and models. Fashion Editors, fashionistas and artists alike were all raving about the designs. The question of the moment was "how can I get one!" Rowley and Bruening are still working on this so stay tuned!
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