One of the highlights of my fall break is seeing the “Heavenly Bodies” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday. This was a really special occasion because it was closing day, the Met Museum was open on a Monday, and I could witness couture in real life. The “Heavenly Bodies” exhibit is part of the Met Costume Institute, which organizes costume and couture in a stunning exhibit. In order to raise money for acquiring both elements, the Met hosts the Met Gala/Met Ball to pay, which is when Rihanna basically owns the red carpet. Sometimes celebrities go on theme, a lot of times they don’t.
Heavenly Bodies is organized around the theme of the Catholic Imagination, which most designers have interpreted as a white European of a certain generation imagination. These pieces revolved around a certain opulence, and often repeat similar biblical motifs such as the colors red, black, gold, white, and blue. Some of the designers featured were Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Thom Browne, John Galliano, and many more.
I find a lot of inspiration from fashion because fashion can go in so many directions. Whether you design a piece of clothing for the mall shopper (which is totally valid) or design a piece of clothing as a conceptual art piece (which is also totally valid), that premise is always at the heart of fashion no matter how much capitalism tries to assign value to things. A lot of the big fashion designers now are part of two huge conglamorates called LVMH and Keuring, and it dismays me to see that sometimes. But that premise always gives me hope.
What other forms of art are you guys inspired by? Is there a perception of this form of art that is ill-informed?
Can you assign value to art at all?
Hey, Sarah!
I am also very interested in fashion. I love how it gives a way for each person, whether rich or poor, to express themselves (though of course, a low-income person has very few options compared to a wealthy person). I do think that the aspect of models so often being seen as “clothes-hangers” can be unhealthy, as many models go to extreme lengths to make their bodies as skinny as possible, not eating for days, not drinking water for hours before shows.
Fashion is amazing because it allows people to express their values (graphic tees, color, cut, style), their favorite colors, and what they feel looks best on them. In terms of high fashion (such as conceptual work) I think that seeing models as a clothes-hanger is unfortunate, and if artists are able to see pieces holistically (for example, being tailored to a specific model who is curvier and larger) this would be a step in a positive direction. 🙂