The Met
As a pre-teen I watched Gossip Girl religiously and my lasting Blair Waldorf-ism is that no museum will ever come close to the Met. That being said, the glitz, glamour and intrigue of the museum does not come from enjoying a parfait on the front steps, amidst droves of selfie stick wielding tourists, but from finding a private corner within this four-block art castle. This is unfortunately a pretty hard task to achieve if you are going with the sole intent of visiting a special exhibit, so bare that in mind if you enjoy museums the way I do: in self-reflection and solitude.
Kimono Style: The John C. Weber Collection Rating: 8/10
I really enjoyed perusing this collection, which displayed the transformation of the kimono from the Edo period to the 20th century, complete with not only kimonos, but textiles, writings, and drawings to supplement the garments. My only wish is that the path through the exhibit made a little bit more sense; it felt like there was little true narrative. However, this did not detract from the stunning beauty and craftsmanship of the kimonos and their successors. The whimsical inclusions that clearly extrapolated the idea of a “kimono,” made this exhibit especially light-hearted and fun! Below are a few of my favorite pieces.
Issey Miyake Seashell, 1985
One of the more serendipitous moments of my life was running into one of my all time favorite Issey Miyake (RIP) pieces as soon as I entered this exhibit. This iconic sweater was made with just one piece of fabric to emulate the organic form and texture of a seashell. Needless to say I freaked - here’s little quote from the label that I think resonates with me about the beauty of Miyake’s work and with this garment specifically: “the Japanese view cloth as having its own life and spirit, interacting with the human body in movement and at rest, and versatile enough to fit the life style of the wearer.”- Yoshiko I. Wada.
Obi (Kakeshita-obi) with Shell-Matching Game Boxes, late 18th century
Sorry this picture is a little shitty, but this piece depicts a game played by court, where the players try pair the most matching clam shells to each other. This game is just so cute to me, and I love how it is detailed on this obi.
Meisen Summer Kimono with Rabbits and Scouring Rushes, 1930s
Yeah I’m an absolute sucker for anything with bunnies on it. This was made for the Year of the Rabbit.
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion Rating: 7/10
This exhibit featured outfits of men and women across many different designers from the 1940s to present day. Each outfit was displayed with a descriptive word: these words ranged from technical and tactile descriptors to more ephemeral and abstract notations. I really enjoyed the range of both words and clothing pieces the curators chose. I think it was clear that in some cases the words chosen for the lexicon were picked out of a dictionary or thesaurus as a near arbitrary description of each piece, but I liked that aspect. I liked that the words were a bit silly, requiring the audience to "lean into” the concept a bit more, therefore becoming even more engaged with the art.
Halston Ensemble, 1970s
Turtlenecks are my favorite article of clothing, and you know what? They do make me feel cozy!
threeASFOUR Dress, 2019-2020
In collaboration with artist Stanley Casselman, threeASFOUR created a dress utilizing scraps of Casselman’s canvas painting. I’m not quite sure what this concretely has to do with the term awareness, but that’s what I mean by “leaning in.” For me awareness means being aware of beauty in sustainability, which is apparent in the reuse of materials to create a whimsical, abstract dress. But that’s just what it meant to me!
In America: An Anthology of Fashion Rating: 4/10
The pieces from this exhibition were shown in conjunction with the American period rooms in the American wing of the Met. While I did like the concept behind this exhibit, it honestly was very confusing and hard to see the fashion due to the dark lighting (understandably required for period room preservation I’m sure), and haphazard narrative. They included American film makers, a large diorama from Versailles, and rooms to show the costumes mise en scène, which felt a bit overwhelming.
The Battle of Versailles, 1973
The Versailles element, for an American fashion exhibit was probably the most jarring part. While this looks awesome, there was nothing in the exhibit to explain what was going on, at least when I searched decently hard. I looked it up on the Met website, after the fact, and realized this was displaying the fashion show Grand Divertissement à Versailles, where 5 American competed against 5 French designers. The Americans won, because of the movement and diversity of the models. I actually did know about this show, but seriously couldn’t find any info within the actual exhibit when I was there. The degree of fashion literacy needed to understand this would go beyond the average visitor, in my opinion, unless it is made extremely clear what is happening. But with this newfound knowledge my appreciation of this exhibit did increase!
Water Memories Rating: 9/10
This was an incredibly powerful exhibit, based on the significance of water to Indigenous peoples. Water is highlighted in its many diverse forms; it’s use in nourishment, protest, healing, and activism were all touched on in unique and significant ways. The curation was thought-provoking and captivating, and I lost track of time while mesmerized by many of the pieces!
Cannupa Hanska Luger River (The Water Serpent), 2016
“The Mirror Shield Project was initiated in support for the Water Protectors as Oceti Sakowin camp near Standing Rock, ND in 2016. Artist Cannupa Hanska Luger created a tutorial video shared on social media inviting folks to create mirrored shields for use in onsite frontline actions. People from across the Nation created and sent these shields to the Water Protectors.” Seriously one the most powerful videos I’ve ever seen. It brought me to tears, and I don’t really think I can encapsulate it in words. You should click on the link and watch for yourself.
Arthur Dove Reaching Waves, 1929
I loved this depiction of the Long Island Sound and waves in general. I feel like many of the other special exhibits were more sculpturally based, so it was treat to get lost in a painting!
Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room Rating: 9/10
This period room is rooted in the history Seneca Village, a predominantly black settlement that was located in what is now Central Park, combined with the concept of Afrofuturism. I absolutely loved how the exhibition created a space that kept the authenticity and tradition of the Seneca Village, while still incorporating contemporary elements in a way that honored the injustices of the African diaspora. This assortment of past and present, of fragmentation and cohesion was beautiful, eclectic, and most importantly hopeful.
Ini Archibong Vernus 3, 2020
Yink Ilori Iya Ati Omo, 2016 + many others
Overall Rating: 9/10
I will of course be going back! I’m hoping to do some exhibition reviews of the smaller galleries I’ve visited, but I got a little lazy and only did the Met. Thanks for reading :0