Celebrity Lace at the Met

Posted on January 10, 2013 by MsSusanB

It was all the rage 100 years ago – who could amass the best collection of antique lace owned by the rich and powerful, and what could you do with it to make a fashion statement?

The Met still has its Gems of European Lace micro-exhibit on display in a lower-level nook for a few more days, right outside of the Ratti Textile Center. (It’s down the stairs on the left side of the tiled medieval Gallery 304 on the first floor.)

The show blends astonishing craftsmanship with an object lesson in conspicuous consumption of the rich and famous of a century ago. It seems that in the late 1800s, wealthy American women tried to outdo one another with lace collections, vying for little masterpieces that might have been owned by European royalty.

Adolf de Meyer’s photo of Rita de Acosta Lydig in Harper’s Bazaar in 1917 (Source: The Met; gift of Mercedes de Acosta)

One gem is the bobbin-made lace cravat end (featured above), allegedly commissioned by Austrian empress Maria Therese and later given to her daughter, Marie Antoinette. The Met cites this provenance, but will only say that it’s “maybe” true.

In the race by society ladies to amass the best lace collections, international lace-dealers made out like bandits. The frenzy only benefits us today, since so many patrons ultimately bequeathed their collections to the Metropolitan and the Brooklyn Museum.

By the early 20^th century, the super-wealthy were also acquiring antique lace and asking for it to be refashioned into stylish haute couture. The example on display in Gems is a Callot Soers original made of 16^th-century-style lace for the style icon Rita de Acosta Lydig, known for her celebrity-filled New York salons; lace-covered accessories and bedecked couture; and having her portraits done by Rodin, Sargent, and anyone who was anyone at the turn of the century.

Rita’s 16th c. style lace remade by Callot Soers in the 1920s (Brooklyn Collection at the Met)

Check out the Met site for close-ups of masterworks of needle and bobbin.

Crisp Hepburn Clothing Tribute at Lincoln Center

Posted on January 5, 2013 by MsSusanB

There’s no surprise that the wardrobe on display in the Katherine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen exhibition is sharp, clean, and perfectly turned out. Finishing its run at NYPL at Lincoln Center this month, the Library has imported this stunning tribute developed by Kent State University. Check out this promo produced by WNET Channel 13:

The first clothes you encounter are a collection of her famous trousers and jodphurs, but tucked away in the corner to the right of the entrance is an item that underscores the purpose of this tribute – the Ernest Trova statuette that she received in 1985 from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for Lifetime Achievement (and inspiration).

Photo from NYPL’s Billy Rose Collection. This dress is in the show.

Photo from NYPL’s Billy Rose Collection, but the dress is in the show.

A fashion icon for the 20^th Century, the show highlights her collaborations with the best designers throughout her life. The first gallery features her stage clothes – Valentina’s creations for the Broadway production of The Philadelphia Story, which look like they were made yesterday, and the Chanel outfits that she commissioned for her performances in Coco. Apparently she did not think that Cecil Beaton’s vision could compare to the real thing, so she wore genuine Chanel in the play. Beaton did get Hepburn to wear some of his creations, and you’ll see a gorgeous black gown there, too.

It was the same story for films. Edith Head said, ““One does not design for Miss Hepburn, one designs with her.” Hepburn bought hats directly from Hattie Carnegie for Alice Adams. Margaret Furse, who loved working with the perfectionist Hepburn, said that she was glad to “share credit” for the contemporary designs in A Delicate Balance. You’ll see her solution – to simply let Bergdorf Goodman make the leopard-print caftan and other stuff.

Almost everything for Hepburn later in life had high necklines and longish sleeves. Still, the stunner is the revealing form-fitting black gown she wore in Adam’s Rib (1949) by Walter Plunkett, the designer who also did Gone With The Wind. (It’s the one in the video promo.)

Her theatrical make-up kit is also on display in the back room. Who else? Max Factor.

Ivy Style or Gangnam Style?

Posted on January 3, 2013 by MsSusanB

Red and white cotton flannel blazer, c.1928. Museum at FIT purchase.

It’s hard to remember a time without Gangnam Style, but it’s even harder to remember before there was Ivy (as in Preppie) Style. There’s just a few more days to trek to The Museum at FIT for its revealing show on the roots of American menswear, Ivy Style.

Sure, the show is peppered with references and examples of the current Kings of Prep –Lauren, Hilfiger, and (prep with a twist) Thom Browne. But the real eye-opener here is the manner in which the curators journey back in time to show you how something so familiar today was once so radical – how “Ivy” got its name in 1876, how students set the sportswear trends before WWI, and the debut of the now-forgotten (but influential) “beer suits” at Princeton in 1912.

It’s also startling to learn that Brooks Brothers industrialized wardrobes as far back as 1818, and that J. Press “owned” the market for natural-shoulder jackets for pretty much the entire 20^th Century.

1937 illustration of college men’s fashions from FIT Library and Archives.

Thankfully, FIT has packed enormous amounts of menswear history on its special exhibition web site, so work your way through it and mine it for your own favorite tidbits (e.g. origins of saddle shoes, polo coats, and blazers).

Favorite factoid: In 1931, the average college student spent 51% more on clothes than the average man-on-the-street – a college trend that kept going right through the Great Depression. So, maybe it’s like Gangnam Style, after all? Psy sports it too, you know.

If you can’t get to the show in the next few days, take the virtual walkthrough with the Richard Press, the former President of J. Press, who interprets the who, what, why, and when of menswear history (including the roots of the most memorable scene in Animal House). Don’t ask, just watch:

1950s and 60s Vintage Rolling through Midtown This Week

Posted on December 10, 2012 by MsSusanB

GM Model 5106 (1958-mid-1970s)

Christmas shoppers in NYC’s Midtown are in for a special retro-treat this week. For $2.25, they can take a trip back in time, as New York City Transit shuttles 42^nd Street travelers from Twelfth Avenue to the East River on its collection of vintage buses.

It’s a fun way to travel to two of the best holiday markets in the City – Bryant Park and Grand Central Terminal – by enjoying a “good old days” vibe, complete with vintage ads.

The antique buses are due to roll east along the M42 route at 8:30am, 11:30am, and 2:30pm. If you aren’t in the vicinity of 42^nd Street, look for parked antique buses opposite Macy’s (at Sixth and 35^th Street) and across from Union Square between 10am and 3:30pm all week.

Transit will be featuring six styles of vintage buses from its collection, including five models from General Motors and one from Mack Truck and Bus. The earliest model is GM’s Model 5101, which ran the streets from 1949 to 1966; the most recent vintage is GM Model 5305A, which debuted in 1968 and ran until 1984.

Even though MetroCards are “new” (they debuted in 1993), they’ll work on the retro-buses. Check out this 1949 Rapid Transit movie to feel the way it used to be, and be sure to catch one of the retro-subway trains every Sunday until December 30 on the M Line between 2 Ave and Queens Plaza.

Holiday Rush for Christopher Columbus

Posted on November 30, 2012 by MsSusanB

Greeting visitors in his apartment 75 feet in the air

It’s the holiday season in New York, with art lovers rushing to see the spectacular apartment that Tatzu Nishi has created (courtesy of The Public Art Fund) for Christopher Columbus, the man at the center of things near the Time-Warner Building.

He’s been standing atop that column since 1892, so it’s about time that he had us over to see his taste in décor, books, and light TV viewing. Here’s the Flickr feed, which takes you on a 360-degree view of his digs.

Who knew Captain Columbus was into pop culture? He even has a copy of one of Andy’s early cat lithos in his bookcase. Enjoy the holiday views that Columbus is enjoying, and get your free tickets now, because you won’t be seeing the City from this view again!

What Columbus is reading inside his apartment

235 Years of Veteran History in a High-Tech Park

Posted on November 12, 2012 by MsSusanB

Open again after the hurricane, best-kept-secret BLDG 92 has opened its doors to honor veteran, industrial, medical, and military history at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center.

The stunning displays of over 235 years of history in New York Harbor inside are nothing compared to the experience of traipsing around by bus and foot to poke in and around the mix of crumbling 19^th-century architecture, active dry docks, overgrown campuses, historic streets, and state-of-the-art sustainable design.

Take a look at the sights seen during the sunny days of summer on the Flickr feed, and book your trip now. It’s an adventure to get there (subways aren’t exactly close), but you will feel amazing to walk in the footsteps of so many heroes of American history and innovation, like Commodore Perry, Dr. Squibb, the North Atlantic Command for WWII, and Rosie the Riveter.

If it all feels and looks a little like a back lot, it is. (Boardwalk Empire shoots at the Steiner Studios and SNL builds sets there.)

Check out the photo of the tugboat under repair in the third oldest dry dock in the country – right where the Monitor was built for combat during the Civil War. And if you’re a Navy history buff, immerse yourself in BLDG 92’s Flickr stream courtesy of the National Archives, stereoscopes and all.

What have you been missing? Just check out this video, and then go see the real thing on foot, by bus, by bicycle, or on an industrial tour:

Do-It-Yourself Fashion Alphabet

Posted on November 10, 2012 by MsSusanB

Christian Dior, dress in satin, 1954, France, gift of Sally Cary Iselin.

You’ve probably been too busy looking for electrical outlets below 34^th Street to have noticed that today is the last day of the exhibition Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part Two.

Don’t worry, because as your power (and Internet) comes back on, you can get your fashion fix via FIT’s new digital archive that lets you surf by alphabet to see all the famous designers and dresses that are in the collection. Search by designer or brand, they’re all there.

The gallery show has the outfits arranged A (for Adrian with a MoMA-inspired creation) to Z (Zoran) in its upstairs gallery. The curators often placed two designer ensembles side-by-side, emphasizing the original designer (for example, Dior) and the younger designer who took over creative duties for the house over time (for example, YSL for Dior).

It’s a treat to see side-by-side examples of new and old Hermes (featuring Gaultier vs. the Kelly bag), Valentino, Balmain, Kenzo, YSL, Dior, and Comme des Garcon creatives.

Charles James, evening dress in silk taffeta and net, 1955, USA, gift of Robert Wells In Memory of Lisa Kirk.

Is Charles James still the reigning world champion? Take a trip to Seventh Avenue today or start surfing fashion history to make your own determination.

NYC High Line Wilderness Being Swept Away

Posted on October 29, 2012 by MsSusanB

It’s not going to be swept away by Hurricane Sandy…We’re just alerting you to the fact that the last section of the High Line looping the West Side Rail Yards is about to undergo its final construction transformation from 30^th Street up to 34^th Street, right across the street from the Javits Convention Center.

As soon as the hurricane subsides, crews will start transforming the railroad-bed wilderness into a beautiful promenade designed by James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and planting designer Piet Oudolf. The City acquired the property from CSX Transportation this summer – the final piece of rail property to complete the High Line vision.

Earlier this month, the High Line opened up this final frontier to foot traffic as part of Open House New York, and we’re providing a last virtual look on the Flickr site. Enjoy the trees, the views, the historic photos, and graffiti of the old elevated railway before the skyscrapers start rising over the old Penn Central yards.

And be sure to find the theropod dinosaur lurking in the weeds above Eleventh Avenue!

Coe Multimedia Accessory Collection at The Met

Posted on October 7, 2012 by MsSusanB

Detail of Possible bag (1900) from the Coe Collection at The Met

McQueen and the Paris runways have nothing over the 18^th and 19^th-century Native Americans who knew how to mix unusual materials and meanings into symbolic, functional, innovative, and salable accessories. A collector with an eye for the interesting is honored in the Met’s Michael C. Rockefeller wing in the micro-show, The Coe Collection of American Indian Art.

Ted Coe of Santa Fe was inspired to collect both ancient and contemporary works by Native Americans that caught his attention, amassing thousands of pieces that he bequeathed to the Met. He mounted a truly innovative show at AMNH in 1986, which linked old and new traditions in Native American art making, Lost and Found Traditions: Native American Art 1965-1985. The Met’s curators decided to honor his work by selecting forty objects.

Detail of Arikara Leadership shirt (1860) from Coe collection at The Met

The show isn’t all about wearable art, but we decided to focus on a few details that you might find of interest. We’ve organized the Flickr feed to document some of the oldest to the newest creations on display, ranging from mid-Mississippian carved stone tools from 4,000 B.C. to the cheeky dough bowl (1994) made by Chochiti potter Diego Ramirez.

In between, you’ll see an array of sophisticated and rough creations made by artists from the 1700s to early 1900s for Native American leaders, nomads, and tourists – all designed, embellished, and crafted in a variety of materials. Who knew that nuns taught Canadian tribal artists to embroider with moose hair? Enjoy the details.

What’s Up with Those Dots, Yayoi?

Posted on September 29, 2012 by MsSusanB

You’ve seen them everywhere over town…the enigmatic dotted signs with the face of Yayoi Kusama peering out. During Fashion’s Night Out, the Vuitton store was ablaze in polka dots, all a tribute to this reclusive Japanese pop-art sensation who burst upon the Manhattan art scene in the 1960s.

This is the last weekend to see her retrospective in person at The Whitney, but if you can’t make it, enjoy the Vuitton collection that she inspired (they’ve created a whole website).

Take a peek into the show.

And click on this link to see a documentary clip about this Kusama’s life. Be surprised and find out how to merge into infinity!

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