Andrew Bolton (curator): One of the highlights in this gallery is a dress called the “Oyster” Dress, which is made up of hundreds and hundreds of layers of silk organza, almost like a mille-feuille pastry. And the collection told the story of a shipwreck at sea and the subsequent landfall in the Amazon, and it was peopled with pirates, conquistadors, and Amazonian Indians.An interesting point made is that this collection really marked a shift in McQueen's sensibility. After training and designing as a tailor, this point in his career shows him experimenting with draping to achieve softness and lightness.
Sarah Burton (McQueen designer): He wanted this idea of it—was almost like she drowned—and the top part of the dress is all fine boning and tulle, and the chiffon is all frayed and disheveled on the top. The skirt is made out of hundreds and hundreds of circles of organza. Then, with a pen, what Lee did was he drew organic lines. And then all these circles were cut, joined together, and then applied in these lines along the skirt. So you created this organic, oyster-like effect.
Will you be going to see Savage Beauty at the Met?
I'm definitely going to see it! I'm meeting some friends and colleagues there in the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friends went to the gala, and he said the lighting is not ideal. It's not surprising, since they don't want to risk deterioration of the fabrics.
If you go see it before June 6, go across the street afterward to see the Van Cleef and Arpels exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt. What a double header!!
sheer genius. amazing!
ReplyDeleteStunning. Just genius.x
ReplyDeleteWhen does a dress become a costume? or more a sculpture then clothing? are the lines to blurry to tell? Maybe it can be all three at once :)
ReplyDeleteI have plans to go with my sister. If the atmosphere lends itself to it, I will make a second trip with my daughter. I also want to check out the Van Cleef and Arpels exhibit Gorgeous Things mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThis is a spectacular dress. "Oyster" is the perfect description. This is truly sculptural.
ReplyDeleteWow, this dress is awesome. I love the story of the circles the skirt is made from! Hope to get there to see it!
ReplyDeleteGosh, I wish I could see that exhibit. That dress is just beautiful and the thought behind it makes it even more so.
ReplyDeleteI WISH I could go see the exhibit! I recall they have a book of McQueen's designs coming out soon -- right? I'm hoping to get a look at that -- also hoping they'll have close-ups of some of his techniques but that might be too much to ask for.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous work of art!
ReplyDeleteNow this is a proper McQueen design. And it doesn't get any better than this. He really was a master of contrasts.
ReplyDeleteSadly great distance and lack of plane fare money prevents me from going to the exhibition :-(
This dress just reminded me of one of my favorite fairy tales as a child, in which a mean king states that only the man who can bring him a dress made of sea foam will be allowed to marry his daughter, the princess. And then there was this guy who was in love with the princess and gets very sad because the task is evidently impossible, and so as he is weeping by the sea there comes a mermaid who asks him to do something for her and in exchange sews him a sea foam dress, therefore saving him from his heartbreak dilemma.
ReplyDeleteThis dress was the closest thing I ever saw to that story's ethereal, foamy, almost organic dress description.
It is obviously beautiful on its own but for me it gets an extra kick from the story =)
I spent hours last night looking at the met website - even that is amazing. How I would love to see the real thing.
ReplyDeleteThis dress looks like a dress Sarah Jessica parker wore in Paris on the last season of Sex in the City. Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most impractical but
ReplyDeleteB-E-Autiful pieces I have ever seen!
I'm really hoping to. I'm visiting a friend at Yale in a few weeks, so I'm crossing my fingers that we can take a trip out to see it! What an amazing dress... the details on the skirt are just stunning.
ReplyDeleteThat dress is absolutely breathtaking
ReplyDeletewww.wangsfactory.blogspot.com
I saw this on Saturday! The crowd was insane, but this is the best done (is that proper grammar?) costume exhibit I've ever seen. The only part that was a bummer was that you couldn't walk around the pieces to see the backsides. On display was also accouterments that accompanied his designs, like Philip Treacy headpieces and such. If you are in the NY area, i HIGHLY recommend going to see it. You won't regret it, unless you are claustrophobic or get annoyed with people talking about Lady Gaga all the time.
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