Some People Call Me The Space Cowboy, Yeahhh

Last week there was a three days fashion exhibition at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid.

Why such a short exhibition, I don't know, but those who attended said it was worth a look.

I couldn't attend the event because I knew about it once was over but my friend Maria went and took pictures and explained everything to me...

Jockey Underwear, inventor of the men's brief, was celebrating its 75 anniversary. For this memorable date Spanish fashion designer Carlos Díez Díez was called to design several pieces for them.

The exhibition was divided in three sections:

1_ A retrospective of the more significant pieces of the label, from an original linen shirt from 1790 till the Andy Warhol's brief that appear in the cover of Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers.

2_ The collaboration between Carlos Díez Díez with Jockey for this ocassion. (these are the pictures I'm showing from)

3_ Original underwear from Carlos Díez Díez... that is, underwear used for him. Some of them dated back to 1963.

It's really a shame i found out about the date of this exhibition so late!.

Photos: María Serret

The Exhibition of the Season; the dark side of fashion at the FIT

Big news; I'm moving back to Spain for 9 months, October-June 2008.

Big changes and better jobs. I will be coordinating the styling courses of the ied design school in Madrid, so back to my roots for a little while.
I'm leaving on Friday to go first to Paris for the shows, been invited to attend BLESS and Antonio Berardi's so i will keep you updated on that.
Then cheap flight to Madrid and a new life will start !

These days I'm trying to attend every single exhibition that's going on in town and the one that has kept me in awe was FIT's Gothic; Dark Glamour.
I was a bit reticent to go because the picture they chose for the exhibition's ad and the graphic design of it wasn't very appealing. But it was a fashion exhibition and that was reason enough to go. Glad i did.

Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), responsible of some of the best fashion exhibitions I have ever seen, including Love and War: The Weaponized Woman, and so many others I have missed, including The Corset: Fashioning the Body, gives us again an absolutely beautiful and interesting exhibition that is both a surprise and a pleasure to see.
Gothic; Dark Glamour explores and analize the interest on Gothic among certain fashion designers like Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens or Alexander McQueen.
The exhibition is divided in 10 sub-exhibitions each of one deals with a different side of Gothic in fashion terms.

The quality of the selected pieces is marvelous, and it's impressive to see a real Balenciaga, Yamamoto or Comme des Garçons in front of you in such an environment as the space has been rearranged as a cemetery.
I must admit my disappointment though on seeing John Galliano dresses because they are not good at all, they seem taken right from the laboratory of a firts year fashion design student. Really cheap.
In the other hand, as I mentioned before, absolutely in awe at the view of Comme des Garçons or Rick Owens.

The finishing touch of the show was the work of Japanese designer Kei Kagami. His designs seem out of the darkest Science Fiction movie you could ever think of... SHOCKING_GEORGEOUS_AMAZING !

Goo See It

I remember from some comment that Riz from Mode et Utopie wasn't very excited about the selection that the MET chose for this year's fashion exhibition.
But let me tell ya, Superheores: Fashion and Fantasy is superb.
I went this morning to take a look and I stayed there for more than an hour! The fact that they chose such a not-so-random subject is what makes this exhibition so special.
The link between fashion and comics' characters is very interesting and to see the real costumes from movies like Spiderman or Iron Man is quite something. I couldn't take my eyes off the cat-suit that Syren Couture created for Catwoman /Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman! Or the aerodynamic suits from Speedo or Nike. Or the creations of Hussein Chalayan, Gareth Pugh, Balenciaga... It's worth it.

Photos from the Gallery...

Photos from the setting up of the Javier Ferrer Vidal exhibition at Mister Pink in Valencia, Spain.

Javier Ferrer exhibition at Mister Pink Gallery

Para aquellos que esteis en tierras valencianas, Javier Ferrer Vidal expone en la galería Mister Pink, inauguración este próximo viernes a las 20.00.

Mad is Mad

Silvia from potipoti told me about mad is mad, a new gallery in Madrid that focus its energy in emerging artists.

Then I met Luján, owner of such gallery, at the opening of Maxluz, and she invited me to come by the space whenever I had a chance.

So a couple of days ago I went to the gallery and the first thing I saw was an artwork of my friend Coke in the windows... I couldn't believe it because A) Coke doesn't live in Madrid and B) he never told me he has artwork exhibited here... world is really a handkerchief.

I Know Where The Summer Goes

Tomorrow Thursday is the opening of the exhibition I Know Where the Summer Goes at the Team gallery in NYC, new work by New York-based photographer Ryan McGinley.
Unfortunately i won't be able to attend it because a flight to Madrid will be awaiting for me at the airport... a whole month to be in Madrid with old friends again! :)
Enjoy the opening if you have the chance to go.

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Mañana es la inauguración de la exposición I Know Where the Summer Goes del fotógrafo Ryan McGinley en la galería Team de Nueva York.
Por desgracia no podré ir porque un avión me espera en el aeropuerto señores que me marcho a Madrid de vacaciones!! :)
Si tienes la oportunidad de ir a la inauguración, disfruta por mí también.

The Museum Oscar goes to...

Our friend Missy, from Texas, is in town to attend the 2006-2007 Annual Awards by the U.S. Art Critics Association, in plain words, the Oscars of the Museum Exhibitions.

The ceremony was held on March 17 at the Guggenheim Museum in NY, and two of the awards were awarded to Fashion exhibitions...

As important as it sounds the event, I couldn't find any website that support my words so all I can say is that I have my friend Missy to back up my post!.

Best Architecture or Design Show

- First Place: Poiret; King of Fashion. At The Metropolitan Museum of New York.
Curators: harold Koda & Andrew Bolton

- Second Place: Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion & Architecture. At the MOCA in L.A.
Curator: Brooke Hodge

And I can brag about my posting of them both! ;)

The Work of Martha Rosler

Body Beautiful or Body Knows No Pain. (series)

This morning I went with Sonia and Pietro to the opening of Wack! Art & The Feminist Revolution at the PS1 Museum in New York, an exhibition that was held for the first time in 2007 at the MOCA in Los Angeles.

The museum was crowded as I haven't seen before and it was a very nice experience to enjoy an opening on a Sunday morning... can you believe there were people who dressed up for the event!. It was awing to see women in high heels and lipstick and hair-does at 1 in the afternoon. :)

The exhibition analyzes the international foundations and legacy of feminist art between the years 1965-80 with the work of 120 artists.

American artist Martha Rosler's work has been probably the one I paid more attention to, a whole room was dedicated to her collages and those included several images from fashion magazines.

Martha's work uses popular images from magazines, newspapers, TV commercials or ads to criticize the hypocrisy that rules the Western world, particularly with regard to the economics of agribusiness, U.S. cultural imperialism, the oppression of women, the war economy and the nuclear arms race. (source)

Her images have the beautiful quality of being visually pretty and politically charged. This makes them really appealing and you can't just take your eyes off them. I spent quite a few time in that room and never got tired.
Even the curators chose one of her images for the cover of the exhibition's catalog. (above)

Bringing the War Home- House Beautiful (series)

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Esta mañana fué la inauguracion de la exposición Wack! Art & The Feminist Revolution en el Museo PS1 en New York, que esta a un tiro de piedra de mi casa y alli me he ido con Sonia y Pietro. Nunca habia estado en una inauguración un domingo por la mañana (las inauguraciones son siempre los jueves y por la noche) con lo que ha sido raro ver a la gente toda arreglada y pintada cuando no eran ni la 1 del mediodía...

La exposición tuvo lugar por primera vez en Los Angeles el año pasado en el Museo MOCA y reune el trabajo de 120 artistas femeninas internacionales con las que analiza las raíces y la importancia del arte feminista durante los años 1965 al 1980.

Uno de los trabajos que más se me ha quedado grabado ha sido el de la americana Martha Rosler cuya obra esta realizada con collages de imagenes seleccionadas de diferentes revistas, anuncios y periodicos.
Martha critica cons sus imágenes el mundo occidental y su hipocresía, especialmente aquellos problemas relacionados con el negocio de la agricultura, el imperialismo Estadounidense, la opresión de la mujer, la economía de guerra y las armas nucleares. (fuente)

Le ha sido dedicada una habitación entera del mueso a la obra de esta artista, una obra que tiene la cualidad de ser visualmente bonita y politicamnte cargada, lo que la hace atractiva desde el primer momento que uno pone ojos en ella... incuso los comisarios de la exposición eligieron una pieza de Rosler para la portada del catálogo de la muestra.

Bringing the War Home- House Beautiful (series)

I Should Pay More Attention

When I posted about blog. mode: adressing fashion, I didn't pay enough attention to realize I was posting about an exhibition, not an actual blog.... my friend Ainne advised me that it was an amazing show at the MET and to my shame I have to admit I didn't trust her until I went to the MET myself... Et voilá, what an amazing exhibition indeed!.

Blog.mode: addressing fashion is located at the Costume Institute inside the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The pieces were chosen under three categories: Technology, Deconstruction and Draping.
I had the fortune of arriving on time for a guided visit... it's funny I always fought against "guided" anything as I think being "guided" means they will only tell you what they want you to know instead of the whole picture and "behind the scenes". But I'm realizing more and more that you actually need someone to explain you at least what's going on because enjoining an exhibition just reading the little notes the museum posts is not such enjoyment really and you end up thinking, what the hell is going on.... and bored.

So there was this very sweet old lady who took us under her wing and I learned really interesting things, like...

** Have you ever wondered why the costume samples from centuries ago that Museums have are always so tiny?

You might think is because people back then was tiny but that's not the exact reason.... When a person is big, or "normal" weight, his/her clothing can be used and reused and make new dresses for younger generations, it can be passed from one person to the other, from one period to the other (grand moms to moms to daughters), doing the necessary alterations.
But when a person is tiny its clothing won't be able to be used and be altered as there is not fabric enough to do so... For this reason the costumes that serve as perfect examples of its period are very tiny because are the ones that were never altered.

The concept of the exhibition is quite interesting and it is even more for us fashion bloggers: Blog. mode: adressing fashion's curators wanted to open a blog so viewers could comment on what they were looking at. Fashion is probably the only Art that is truly democratic, everyone is able to comment on it because everyone dresses everyday, everyone is in contact with fashion on a daily basis.
When one attends an Art exhibition has the feeling that needs to read or study before being able to comment, no one feels in the mood of talking of a Picasso if it's the first time is been viewed. But with fashion is different and you, me and my mom can have a very curated opinion on a garment.

For that reason the blog was created and 10 computers were located at the center of the show where you can go and sit and comment on the pieces around you.

The show will be on until April 13th, don't miss it, is absolutely wonderful.









all images taken by me, surprisingly you could take picture if not flash was involved.

Chicago is Chic

Tomorrow is the last day to enjoy the exhibition Chic Chicago at the FIT Museum in New York.
I'm sorry I didn't post about it earlier but I'm even more sorry for not going myself earlier too.

This exhibition is a collaboration between two Museums, the already mentioned FIT Museum and the Chicago History Museum that in Sept. 2006 reopened with a new gallery (1300 sq ft) entirely dedicated to the museum's costume and textile collection. This collection is focussed in clothing made in Chicago or worn by Chicagoans and part of this collection has been brought to NY.

There are really museum-quality pieces, really impressive pieces ranging for the late XIX Century to nowadays.
These pieces were donated to the Museum by high-society Chicagoan women such Mrs Howard Linn (who contributed over 150 couture ensembles including pieces by Chanel, Vionnet or Balenciaga), Mrs Augustus Newland Eddy (who donated not only garments but also journals of her trips to Europe to buy fashions) or Jeanette Lawrence Young (who became co-director of the Clothing Production Unit of the American Red Cross during WWII). This fact showed me how important are women who like and buy fashion to preserve history.


// Mañana es el ultimo día de la exposición Chic Chicago en el Museo del FIT.
Y aunque la exposición abrió en Octubre he esperado hasta el último momento para ir porque no pensé que valiese la pena, y cuanto me arrepiento porque lo vale realmente.
Esta exposición ha nacido de la colaboración entre el FIT Museum y el Chicago History Museum, aprovechando que este último acaba de abrir una galeria dedicada enteramente a exhibir las colecciondes e moda que tienen. parte de esta colección es la que han traido a NY.
Estas prendas fueron donadas por mujeres tan importantes como Mrs Howard Linn (quien llegó a donar hasta 150 piezas incluyendo diseños de Chanel, Vionnet o Balenciaga), Mrs Augustus Newland Eddy y Jeanette Lawrence Young, lo cual me hace ver cuan importantes son las mujeres que disfrutan de la alta costura y la compran para preservar su historia.

Not Boudicca's and yet So Impressive

One of the things I used to enjoy doing on Christmas when I was living in Madrid was going to the Reina Sofia Museum very late in the evening (they close at 9pm) and enjoining the art works with the city's Christmas lights outside the windows as a background.

The Metropolitan Museum last night at 8.15pm

Reading the New York magazine yesterday I saw an ad advertising a "special holiday opening" for the Metropolitan Museum; Dec 24 & 31 open till 5.30pm and Fri and Sat open till 9pm. I put my coat on and quick to the MET last night at 8pm.
Friday is a wonderful day to visit the MET in the evening also because there are classical music performances that you can hear all over the museum and it's wonderful to visit a museum with soundtrack.

As every year for Christmas, the MET presented an impressive Christmas tree framing a Neapolitan Baroque Nativity Scene from the XVIII Century. It's not what Boudicca made for the V&A but still... beautiful. [There were signs all over the show saying "no pictures" but I'm glad everyone was taking them and so did I ... :) ]

Christmas Tree and XVIII Century Neapolitan nativity scene at the MET

The tree and nativity scene are located at the Medieval section of the museum so I couldn't help but walking around to enjoy this type of Art which is my favourite art whatsoever: it's so dark and moving.
I spent the whole hour looking at the different "Virgin with Child" that covered the whole space. I took pictures of some of them but there were much more featured.

The clothes were really beautiful, long dresses and tunics that i wouldn't mind to see them coming back...
These outfits seem to be inspired more in what women wore in the Middle Ages than in the Roman Empire, but still they are like something in between, or that's my impression, I can't really tell...




// Una de las cosas que más me gustaba hacer en Navidad cuando vivía en Madrid era el irme al Reina Sofia por la tarde noche aprovechamdo que cierran a las 9. Me encantaba mirar por las ventanas y ver todas las lucecitas de colores en la ciudad mientras yo estaba ahi dentro disfrutando de las obras de arte.
Ayer en la revista New York vi anunciado la apertura del Museo Metropolitano los dias 24 y 31 de Diciembre asi como del cierre tarde del museo los viernes y los sabados, y ayer era viernes... no dude un segundo en ponerme el abrigo (eran las 8) e irme para alla.
Como todos los años por estas fechas el MET ha puesto un árbol gigantesco de Navidad con un belén Napolitano original Barroco que es una maravilla. Y aunque no es como el árbol que Boudicca preparó para el Victoria & Albert... vale la pena.
El árbol esta colocado en la sección de Arte Medieval y no pude resistirme de darme una vuelta por los alrededores porque el Arte Medieval me encandila, tiene algo de "oscuro" que me encanta.
Había un monton de Virgenes con niño y me puse a hacer fotos como loca porque me encantaron los trajes que llevaban y la postura de todas ellas. Los trajes parecen estar más inspirados en los trajes de la Edad Media que en los del Imperio Romano, pero tampoco sabría decir porque esta un poco todo mezclado...

Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac on the Road

I said I would be away from blogging for a week and here I am posting something again... blogging is like a drug!

After two days straight in front of my computer editing the winter issue of milkshake chocolate i needed some fresh air so I went this evening to see the exhibition Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac on the Road coinciding with the 50's anniversary of Kerouac's On The Road with my friend Ainne (a beatnik herself for a couple of years) at the New York Public Library.

Although this exhibition has little to do with fashion, I say, it has nothing to do with it, i post about it because it is really worth a visit. And it reminded me the post about "Beatnik" style that Jennine posted not long ago or the "beatnik-like" wardrobe of Hepburn in Funny Face...

This mega exhibit features the work of the father of the Beat generation, his complex world and work together with his friends Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and William S. Burroughs; manuscripts, photographies, correspondence, diaries, drawings, music from the author music-library (classical music and radio tunes) and the famous "scroll" typescript from On The Road.

I couldn't finish to see the whole exhibit because as i said, is enormous, but i plan to come back soon.

/// Aunque anuncié que no escribiria en lo menos una semana para encargarme de editar el proximo numero de milkshake chocolate, no he podido resistirme... esto es como una droga!
Despues de estar literalmente pegada al ordenador por dos dias seguidos necesitaba aire fresco y me he ido con mi amiga Ainne a ver la absolutamente maravillosa exposicion Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac on the Road en la Libreria Publica de NY.
Este año se cumple el 50 aniversario de la publicacion del famoso libro On the Road (En el Camino) de Kerouac y asi se ha aprovechado tal fecha para sacar a la luz manuscritos, fotografias y toda clase de parafernalia, incluido el super famoso texto de En el Camino, taquigrafiado en un solo rollo de papel como si fuese un pergamino.
La exposicion no tiene nada que ver con moda pero me recordo el post que Jennine de The Coveted hizo hace poco sobre el estilo Beatnik, asi como el look de Audrey Hepburn en Funny Face.
Si estais por la ciudad no dudeis en ir a verla, vale la pena. Es gigantesca, y yo no he podido terminarla entera pero aun asi espero volver muy pronto.

The Baroque Era and Its Tapestry Industry

Surprise Attack On Calais (detail). 1597-99

Having lots of something and very easily makes you take it for granted and that is exactly what has always happened to me in regard of tapestries.
Being European, or even better, being from Spain, means that every old place you visit, every castle, every palace, every official building you put foot on will very probably have a tapestry hanging on its walls. And it gets so normal that it's hard not to take it for granted. You go, you see that thing up there and you don't even notice what it really is.
For this reason I was very sceptical in my visit to the MET exhibition Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor, conceived as the sequel of the exhibition Tapestry in the Renaissance: Art and Magnificence that took place 5 years ago.

Moses rescued from the Nile (detail). 1640

What I found regardless my scepticism was a quite impressive and majestic collection of tapestries, a total of 45 rare pieces that took my breath as soon as I entered the exhibition.
As I mentioned before tapestries have never been my soft spot but the care in which this collection has been arranged really took my heart.
The show covets the industry during 1570-1720, starting with the most important years of this art (second third of the XVI century) and finishing with Brussels (its former "capital") and its second Renaissance.
Make note that the pictures you see in my blog seem mere paintings but think that those paintings are woven; the depth, the perspective, the colors, everything is achieved weaving threads of different colors... Looking at the tapestries very close is something of an amazing experience; they are actually flat.
You see every stitch made and wonder how those men and women were able to create such gigantic pieces ("A Naval Battle" below is 13ft x 25ft) in which everything make sense, when they were able only to see a foot square at a time.

A Naval Battle (detail) 1715-20

A Woman's Obsession

When I looked at the pictures that French photographer Chantal Stoman did of Japanese women consuming Western luxury brands such Chanel, Gucci or Hermes, I couldn't help but being amazed at the respect, interest and obsession at once that these women professed to the objects they were purchasing and/or carrying already.
The buyers surprised me, and the sale assistants fascinated me even more for they're total submissiveness to the costumer, so different from our dear ones (the Western ones) who seems they are doing us a favor by allowing us to shop and spend our money in the stores.

The French photographer re-visited Tokyo several times after her first visit to take pictures of these women and their obsession, and with the help of an interpreter she encountered dozens of Japanese women in her quest to understand their motivations and ardent love of fashion and she learnt this: "The Japanese woman regards fashion as a unique form of art, which - for her - is superior to all other forms of creation."
The French Institute in NY is now showing these pictures in an exhibition called A Woman's Obsession that will run until December 1st as part of their Fashion Month.