Thursday, April 21, 2011

Not-So-Intellectual Pursuits...?

Did anyone read the article, Art Snobs Divided Over Whether Fashion Exhibits Belong in Museums (here) on The Cut? Though the article is centered around the upcoming annual Costume Institute Gala at the Met, it was surprisingly relevant for me because last week a good friend of mine suggested we see the Fashion Independent exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum and after the visit, I was truly inspired.

Fashion Independent: The Original Style of Ann Bonfoey Taylor is not only a fantastic collection of haute couture, (Taylor had buckets of Balenciaga, Madame Gres, Charles James, Givenchy and other greats of her time and all time), but it was also a great reminder to be true to your style and tastes, no matter what is "in" at the moment. I wish I could have met Taylor because she seems insanely cool, (an Olympic skier/WWII flight instructor/fashion designer/world traveler is probably not a boring person), and because I would have loved to delve into her closets when she was present to explain her tastes in person.

I only found two little pictures of her collection online to share....
...but check out the short video (here) for more images (and to see Hamish Bowles' mustache dance when he talks). If you live anywhere near Phoenix, you need to see the exhibit. We're talking cherry red Mongolian sheepskin coats, a vintage collection of LV monogrammed luggage, and exquisite couture that is a statement of its time, but still relevant for a modern fashion enthusiast. Oh, and Hermes scarves-- Sigh. If you aren't near Phx, but live in a metropolitan area, keep an eye out because I am sure the collection will be traveling to fashion-friendly areas ;)

Anyway, do you think it is acceptable for fashion to be displayed in museums or should display space in our cultural showcases be reserved for more traditional, scholarly works of art?

7 comments:

  1. Fashion exhibits DEFINITELY belong in museums! It's definitely art.
    xo Josie
    http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I love that red coat! WOW! Fashion is most def an ART therefore it deserves to be in a museum just like any other art! kIAH

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did you watch All on the Line this week? They got all their inspiration from work in museums-- soo cool!
    Xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. I totally think that fashion exhibits should be in museums! They are so special and amazing. Have a fantastic Friday, darling
    Hugs and kisses

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anything that is designed and created for aesthetic purposes belongs in a museum and shouldn't just be limited to drawings, paintings and sculptures.

    xx Kara
    Sprinkles in Springs

    ReplyDelete
  6. I... actually saw this in the Scottsdale Fashion Center the other day. It looks really cool.

    seven-percentsolution.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hum I think fashion is a kind of form of art but the thing is it's not entirely art because its main goals is to be wear unlike paints or statues, so I think this problematic is similar to the one of the architecture and furniture designs... in a sense that their main goals is functional and the aestetics is a second goal... so in a sense yes, I'm for doing museum about fashion, but with true piece of fashion ( unlike in the victoria and albert museum in london which expose a calvin klein underwear -_- ) I think it helps fashion to improve it's image, like "it's not only superficial and buying a louis vuitton bag for $4000" if you know what I mean the victor and rolf exhibit helped me to understand that fashion is not only a bunch of furnitures and a name to buy, there's a reflexion behind.


    bouh. sorry i'm so chatty xD

    kisses
    hannah
    http://elegantesque.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete