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Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
The Haunted, Provocative Work Of A Daring Designer
The name of the fashion designer himself brings to mind thoughts of both ethereal and haunted beauty -- a mix of danger and romanticism, the beautiful and the bizarre, the natural and the unnatural world.
It was McQueen himself who said: “You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.”
And, if nothing else McQueen was a notorious rule-breaker.
He was also somewhat of an exhibitionist, a defiant showman and a daring artist.
Yesterday we viewed the big, bold (and sometimes very dark) exhibition of McQueen's creations entitled Savage Beauty at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lest you thing this show is merely a collection of mannequins decked out in McQueen's clothes, promptly disabuse yourself of that notion. This is a light, sound and visual showcase -- a feast of moods, music, texture and environments; an exhibition that mixes history, heritage and hauntings and invites you to let your imagination run free along with the late designer.
And, as you might imagine this show is as much about death as it is about life.
The exhibition, organized by The Met's Costume Institute, celebrates Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion.
From his Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation, which took place after his death in February 2010, McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion.
The exhibition features approximately 100 ensembles and 70 accessories from McQueen’s prolific nineteen-year career. Drawn primarily from the Alexander McQueen Archive in London, with some pieces from the Givenchy Archive in Paris as well as private collections, signature designs including the “bumster” trouser, the kimono jacket, and the three-point “origami” frock coat are on view.
McQueen’s fashions often referenced the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s, but his technical ingenuity always imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at the vanguard.
I must admit that this is one of the most unusual (and sometimes unsettling) exhibitions of its type I've ever seen, due in part to the sexual and sado-masochistic subtext in some of McQueen's work. Constriction seems to play a strong role in his approach to fashion.
And yet, there are softer, even more elegant pieces (largely influenced by Givenchy) and always expert tailoring owing to McQueen's own training and background.
Once again, McQueen himself expressed it best: “People find my things sometimes aggressive. But I don’t see it as aggressive. I see it as romantic, dealing with a dark side of personality.”
The struggle between life and death that seems to have defined much of McQueen's work ended in when he committed suicide just shy of his 41st birthday.
The show is drawing large crowds. It runs through August 7.
Roberto Capucci: Fashion Really Is Art!
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| Creations which take on a luminescent glow as the light changes. |
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| Capucci's fabric palette sings with a symphony of colors. |
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| Dresses appear as flower blossoms. |
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| A reinterpretation of vivid red featuring nine skirts. |
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| A rare Capucci creation with detailed bead work. |
The designs were sensational and helped make Capucci renowned in the fashion world and beyond. This remarkably inventive master of haute couture became a sort of "designer's designer," inspring so many others along the way.
Now, Capucci is back.
In a dazzling exhibition the Philadelphia Museum of Art you can see more than 80 of Capucci's unique creations beginning Wednesday and continuing through June 5.
Roberto Capucci: Art Into Fashion will open your eyes to Capucci's work which he describes as as "a study in form" inspired by art, architecture, and nature.
For Capucci, the act of creation is a complete sensory experience; he has described it as an assault—of art, beauty, color, emotion, music, nature, poetry. For the viewer the experience is magical and unforgettable.
The colors, the fabrics, the line, the form and the structure of Roberto Capucci's work will make you a believer.
Yes, fashion is art and you'll never again look at elegant clothing quite the same way.
Join Capucci for his return to Philadelphia (and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
All photos copyright 2011 by Dan Cirucci.
Philly Art Museum To Feature Fashion Competition
In recent years Philadelphia has become home to a growing number of fashion-driven designers, artists, publications, and style mavens. On April 1, Art After 5 will begin its spring season with a night of two “Project Capucci” fashion competitions in celebration of the exhibition Roberto Capucci: Art Into Fashion (March 16 – June 5, 2011) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
As the evening begins, host NBC10 anchor Lu Ann Cahn will introduce special guest judges: Marla Green DiDio, Philadelphia fashionista; Missy Dietz, General Manager of Neiman Marcus and member of Philadelphia Magazine’s Style Squad; Jay McCarroll, fashion designer and winner of the inaugural season of Project Runway; Luigi Scotto, Consul General of Italy; and Brigitte Segura, contributor to InStyle.com, whatswear.com, fashionledge.com, and citychickmagazine.com.
Art After 5's "Project Capucci" will offer two fashion competitions. In the first, design students from the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Drexel University, and Philadelphia University will present Capucci-inspired creations, each of them donned by a runway model from the Wilhelmina agency. NoëlSy Salon will style the models’ hair and make-up and LAGOS will accessorize them with jewelry from its collection.
The evening’s second competition is an eye-opener on the creative process of fashion design. Students from Moore College of Art & Design will craft garments on dress forms spontaneously, right on the scene, vying to design a winning creation. The students will be able to design throughout the evening, but their newly fashioned clothes must be completed in time for judging at 8:00 p.m.
During the evening of fashion, Cahn will talk to the competitors and panel of judges, providing insight into the designs as they make their way down the catwalk. When the show concludes, the Wilhelmina models will circulate and guests will get a closer look at the styles of the Art After 5 runway. All the while, guests may dine on specialty cocktails, appetizers, and small plates prepared by the culinary team of Starr Events and listen to music spun by a DJ provided by the Italian Consulate of Philadelphia.
At the evening’s close, the judges will announce the design winners from the runway and live couture competitions. Winners of both competitions will be awarded a cash prize donated by the Italian Consulate as well as the Heart of Philadelphia pendant from the LAGOS collection, inspired by the iconic columns of the Museum. The night’s artistic inspiration will continue until the Museum’s galleries close at 8:45 p.m.
For more information, click here.
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As the evening begins, host NBC10 anchor Lu Ann Cahn will introduce special guest judges: Marla Green DiDio, Philadelphia fashionista; Missy Dietz, General Manager of Neiman Marcus and member of Philadelphia Magazine’s Style Squad; Jay McCarroll, fashion designer and winner of the inaugural season of Project Runway; Luigi Scotto, Consul General of Italy; and Brigitte Segura, contributor to InStyle.com, whatswear.com, fashionledge.com, and citychickmagazine.com.
Art After 5's "Project Capucci" will offer two fashion competitions. In the first, design students from the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Drexel University, and Philadelphia University will present Capucci-inspired creations, each of them donned by a runway model from the Wilhelmina agency. NoëlSy Salon will style the models’ hair and make-up and LAGOS will accessorize them with jewelry from its collection.
The evening’s second competition is an eye-opener on the creative process of fashion design. Students from Moore College of Art & Design will craft garments on dress forms spontaneously, right on the scene, vying to design a winning creation. The students will be able to design throughout the evening, but their newly fashioned clothes must be completed in time for judging at 8:00 p.m.
During the evening of fashion, Cahn will talk to the competitors and panel of judges, providing insight into the designs as they make their way down the catwalk. When the show concludes, the Wilhelmina models will circulate and guests will get a closer look at the styles of the Art After 5 runway. All the while, guests may dine on specialty cocktails, appetizers, and small plates prepared by the culinary team of Starr Events and listen to music spun by a DJ provided by the Italian Consulate of Philadelphia.
At the evening’s close, the judges will announce the design winners from the runway and live couture competitions. Winners of both competitions will be awarded a cash prize donated by the Italian Consulate as well as the Heart of Philadelphia pendant from the LAGOS collection, inspired by the iconic columns of the Museum. The night’s artistic inspiration will continue until the Museum’s galleries close at 8:45 p.m.
For more information, click here.
Dazzling: Reserve Now For Capucci In Philadelphia!
Today, after six decades of creative achievement, he remains one of Italy’s most influential and imaginative artist-couturiers. Capucci (b. 1930) captured the attention of the international press at an early age, drawing praise from designers such as Christian Dior when he was still a teenager. His work has appealed to Italian aristocrats like the noblewoman Maria Pace Odescalchi, Italian actress Elsa Martinelli, whom he helped project to fame, and American actresses Marilyn Monroe, Esther Williams, and Gloria Swanson.
Today, Capucci fascinates and inspires contemporary designers such as Ralph Rucci, who admires Capucci’s dedication to the purity of his art.
Covering his couture designs from the 1950s to his recent sculptures, Roberto Capucci: Art into Fashion (March 16 – June 5, 2011) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is the first major survey of his work in the United States.
Click here to purchase tickets for Robert Capucci.
It is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fondazione Roberto Capucci in Florence and will be seen only in Philadelphia.