What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Remember doing those summer vacation reports in grade school? Me neither.

I'm doing this more for me than for you. I'll be writing more detailed posts on my various blogs. This is functioning as my Table of Contents and link center (adding links as posts are written). You're welcome to come along for the ride!

LAX - BOS
I mended (until I dropped my seam ripper under my seat) and sketched.

Getting from Boston to Providence was an adventure. More on that later.

Providence
A short and wonderful visit with Patucci and Mark, including perusing the Repair and Design Futures at the RISD Museum [museum link] (closes 6/30/19)
My long post about it link.

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RISD Museum: Repair and Design Futures through 6/30/19 This is text from the exhibition. #mendingmatters #slowsewing #slowstitching #mending #mendingasmetaphor

A post shared by anne m bray (@annembray) on Jun 13, 2019 at 1:57am PDT

A few tense moments chasing the box of art, which I picked up at the Post Office as I was leaving town:

Vermont
Rendezvoused with Annie at her sweet cabin.

Finished customizing the tiaras for our 45th high school reunion parade.
Covered a random princess (on Annie) and Hello Kitty (on me) with our school's founder, Emma Willard

Got the art out of the box and affixed to foam core for display at the reunion.
More on the art on the On the Edge blog.

Troy, NY
As mentioned, 45th reunion. A small, yet mighty gathering of the class of '74

Ready for the Parade of Classes [photo by Liz Westbrook '75]

Severo showed up Saturday night and he joined us for the Class Dinner:

Barneveld, NY
A few days at Mom's, plus museum visits.

Meetup with Shelbee and Sons at The Adirondack Experience!
Writeup link here.

Tiffany exhibit at the Munson Williams Proctor Institute (through September 8, 2019)

It seemed that every time we were in transit, it rained. The drive from Barneveld to Newark was especially harrowing -- Severo almost hit a deer on US17, a six lane highway.

NYC
William Greenberg Desserts, the Met, shopping -- an ideal day in the city.

Met Camp exhibition (through September 8, 2019) for her:

Richard Quinn AW18-19

Met Play It Loud exhibition (through October 1, 2019) for him:

Posing with Lennon's Rickenbacker

Gluttony East link
Dessert Gluttony link

EWR-LAX
Aerial views and Procreate patterns:

Have a vacation planned? Summer at home? Link!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Linking up with
Patti's Visible Monday
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness
Catherine's #ShareAllLinkup
Ageless Style Linkup

Happy 4th!

Here's to vacations that include seeing friends (and fashion exhibitions)!

With Patucci in Providence 

Todd Oldham at the RISD Museum

With Ally at The Met, NYC

Pink and poufy, Manus X Machina

Linking with Patti's Visible Monday

China: Through the Looking Glass at The Met, Part 7 -- Wuxia

"For many Western designers, some of the most compelling fantasies of China are in wuxia, a literary genre that is more than two thousand years old. Wuxia, which roughly translates as 'martial hero,' relates the adventures of wandering swordsmen whose martial-arts skills are so highly developed that they can internalize their qi (life force) and unleash such superhuman powers as 'thunder palms,' 'shout weapons,' and 'weightless leaps.'"  -- from The Met's website

[no information on any of these, not in catalogue]

Can you sense my frustration? Usually, if allowed, I will take photos of the information when I take a photo of an art piece. This time I didn't -- I knew I was going to purchase the catalogue. I was hoping that EVERYTHING in the exhibition would be at least listed, if not photographed. Oh well. Perhaps I'll have the energy to track down the details at a later date.

On The Met's Pinterest board for China:Through the Looking Glass I found this nicely edited video about the exhibition.
It gives a good sense of the experience.

China: Through the Looking Glass at The Met, Part 6 -- Moon In the Water

"The exhibition's subtitle, Through the Looking Glass, translates into Chinese as Moon in the Water, a phrase that alludes to Buddhism. Like Flower in the Mirror, it suggests something that cannot be grasped, and has both positive and negative connotations. When used to describe a beautiful object, "moon in the water" can refer to a quality of perfection that is either so elusive and mysterious that the item becomes transcendent or so illusory and deceptive that it becomes untrustworthy." -- from The Met's website

Calligraphy and China's export silk were featured in Galleries 215, 216, and 214.

Christian Dior, Quiproquo, 1951, Printed silk shantung

Sketches:

Alexander McQueen, fall/winter 2006, Silk jacquard

Christian Dior, Quiproquo, 1951, Printed silk shantung

Alexander McQueen, fall/winter 2006, Silk jacquard

Christobal Balenciaga, 1955-56, Hand-painted silk taffeta

Sketches:

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2003 [not in catalogue]

Christobal Balenciaga, 1955-56, Hand-painted silk taffeta

Almost overwhelming was the moonlit garden staging of a lavish display of Galliano gowns.

Left to Right:

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2003 [not in catalogue]

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2003, Printed silk/synthetic jacquard

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2003, Silk jacquard embroidered with silk flowers coat, Silk ciré ruff and dress

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2003, Silk brocade dress, Gold lamé and synthetic crinoline

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2003, Embroidered silk jacquard coat, Silk organza dress

Tomorrow I'll conclude my survey with some photos from the Wuxia section of the exhibition.

Note: I relied on the exhibition catalogue China: Through the Looking Glass and The Met's website for information, especially the details about the garments. Selected images from the catalogue can be viewed on The Met's Pinterest board.

China: Through the Looking Glass at The Met, Part 5 -- Porcelain

Gallery 213 paired blue-and-white porcelain with blue and white haute couture.

Guo Pei, spring/summer 2010, [not in catalogue] 

Sketches: 

Guo Pei, spring/summer 2010, [not in catalogue] 

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2005, Embroidered silk jacquard coat, embroidered silk organza dress 

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2005, Embroidered silk jacquard coat, embroidered silk organza dress

Left to Right:

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2005, Embroidered silk jacquard coat, embroidered silk organza dress

John Galliano for Dior, spring/summer 2009, Silk satin and lace, skirt lined with embroidered silk satin [front detail view]

Valentino, fall/winter 1968, Printed silk satin

House of Valentino, fall/winter 2013, Printed silk organza

Left photo, left to right:

Roberto Cavalli, fall/winter 2005, Silk satin

Rodarte, spring/summer 2011, Printed hammered silk crepe and silk tulle embroidered with silk ribbon

Rodarte, spring/summer 2011, Printed silk ottoman, printed silk crepe

Left to right:

Jar, Porcelain [No info, not in catalogue]

Li Xiaofeng, Beijing Memory No. 5, Qing period porcelain shards, 43 x 35.5 x 25.5", 2009

More tomorrow!

Note: I relied on the exhibition catalogue China: Through the Looking Glass and The Met's website for information, especially the details about the garments. Selected images from the catalogue can be viewed on The Met's Pinterest board.

China: Through the Looking Glass at The Met, Part 4 -- Chinoiserie

Much of China: Through the Looking Glass exhibition (on view until September 7) is dispersed throughout The Met's second floor Chinese Art galleries. It became a bit of a treasure hunt, with the displays of garments tucked away amidst the antique objects. I enjoyed this part of the presentation -- the pairing of garments with ceramics, furniture, ancient statuary, and other items.

Yves Saint Laurent fall/winter 1977/78 collection and Opium perfume are featured in Gallery 210.

Sketches:

Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 1977/78 [not in catalogue]

Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 1977/78

Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 1977/78

Feng Langgong, Summer Palace, Folding screen of lacquered wood, gilded and painted 9.75 x 20 ft, 1690

Left to Right:
Valentino, fall/winter, 1990/91, Silk satin and organza embroidered with sequins, beads, and crystals
Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, fall/winter 1996/97, Silk organza embroidered with sequins and beads

This McQueen gown, in Gallery 207, was paired with a sculpture from the Tang Dynasty (618-907):

Alexander McQueen for Givenchy, fall/winter 1997/98 [not in catalogue]

Gallery 208 was devoted to this gown by Guo Pei, with statues of Buddha rimming the space

Guo Pei, spring/summer 2007 [not in catalogue]

Tomorrow, I'll feature the Porcelain section of the exhibition, both with my sketches and photos.

Note: I relied on the exhibition catalogue China: Through the Looking Glass and The Met's website for information, especially the details about the garments. Selected images from the catalogue can be viewed on The Met's Pinterest board.

China: Through the Looking Glass at The Met, Part 3 -- Manchu Robe Inspired

Left: Chanel, ca. 1930, Reconfigured Chinese robe of embroidered silk gauze 

The next section of the Anna Wintour Costume Center housed a vast display of antique Chinese imperial robes paired with modern couture. Some, like the above Chanel jacket, showed obvious direct inspiration for motifs on the fabrics. Mirrors were strategically placed, to enable viewing all sides of the couture garments.
In the center of the room, clips from Betrolucci's The Last Emperor were projected on parallel walls, paired with a looping cut from the soundtrack, "Open the Door" by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Chinese Mantle, ca. 1917-20, Embroidered silk satin with applique of rooster feathers and silk flowers

Sketches:

Chinese Mantle, ca. 1917-20, Embroidered silk satin with applique of rooster feathers and silk flowers

Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 2004/5, Printed silk chiffon with silk chiffon applique, silk velvet ribbon, mink

Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 2004/5, Silk satin embroidered with sequins, fox fur

Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 2004/5, Printed silk chiffon with silk chiffon applique, silk velvet ribbon, mink

Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, fall/winter 2004/5, Silk satin embroidered with sequins, fox fur

Dries Van Noten, autumn/winter 2012/13, Wool/silk hammered satin and wool twill

Center: Chinese Festival Robe, late 19th century, Silk and metallic tapestry

Sketches:

Dries Van Noten, autumn/winter 2012/13, Wool/silk hammered satin and wool twill

John Galliano for Dior, autumn/winter 1998/99, Embroidered silk jacquard (front and back)

John Galliano for Dior, autumn/winter 1998/99, Embroidered silk jacquard

Right: no information, not in catalogue

Left: Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, autumn/winter 2004/5, Silk satin embroidered with sequins

Tomorrow, I'll feature the Chinoiserie section of the exhibition, both with my sketches and photos.

Note: I relied on the exhibition catalogue China: Through the Looking Glass and The Met's website for information, especially the details about the garments. Selected images from the catalogue can be viewed on The Met's Pinterest board.

China: Through the Looking Glass at The Met, Part 2 -- Qipao Inspired

This is the Qipao [cheongsam] Inspired section seen in the Anna Wintour Costume Center at The Metropolitan Museum.
Taking photographs was difficult with all the reflections and crowds of viewers, so I pulled out my sketchbook.

Sketches, left to right:

Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, spring/summer 2011. Black silk duchasse satin embroidered with tassels. [see on Met's Pinterest]

Floral chiffon qipao over a black slip. circa 1920s-30s (not in catalogue)

Brown cut velvet qipao, circa 1920s-30s (not in catalogue)

Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurant, fall/winter 2004/5, Silk satin embroidered with sequins.

Qipaos worn by Hu Die (Butterfly Wu) circa 1920s-30s (not in catalogue)

Brown cut velvet qipao, circa 1920s-30s (not in catalogue)

Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurant, fall/winter 2004/5, Silk satin embroidered with sequins.

Left to right:

John Galliano for Dior, autumn/winter 1997/98, Silk jacquard embroidered with beads [see on Met's Pinterest]

John Galliano for Dior, autumn/winter 1997/98, Silk jacquard embroidered with beads 

Jean Paul Gautier, autumn/winter 2001/2, Lacquered silk satin and embroidered silk tulle

Tomorrow, I'll feature the Manchu Robe Inspired section of the exhibition, both with my sketches and photos.

Note: I relied on the exhibition catalogue China: Through the Looking Glass and The Met's website for information, especially for details about the garments. Selected Images from the catalogue can be viewed on The Met's Pinterest board.