2013 Costume Institute Exhibit : "PUNK: Chaos To Couture"

[lepetitcouturier]

But ultimately I think you need to look at the Gala and the exhibit as two completely separate things, which they very much are in the end. The gala isn't trying to be informative, nor is it aiming for realism or anything of the sort. It's a charity event -- and by extension of that, a publicity event -- first and foremost. The people involved aren't involved because they have anything to do with the punk movement, they're involved to bring publicity to the event and to raise money for it. As someone else pointed out earlier in the thread, the performances, guests and co-chairs selected for the party rarely have anything at all to do with the theme of the exhibit. I mean what did Cate Blanchett have to do with Poiret, or Giorgio Armani with Superheroes? One recent gala had a performance from the Boradway revival of "Hair" if I'm not mistaken.

I'm sure that people will show up this year in high-fashion that's been infused with a bit of what we identify as punk, and I'm sure the party will have been outfitted accordingly to complement the exhibit but expecting more than that is setting yourself up for disappointment.

I guess you're right. When they talk about the co-chairs they never specifically say if they're for the gala or the exhibit. I don't know. (And in reference to the Superhero exhibit, I saw that when I was 11 or something and I hated it. I don't know who's idea that was and I don't want to )

 

[Cold]

Would Anna Settle for a Safety Pin?
Guests struggle with Costume Institute Gala's theme of Punk

IT IS HARD ENOUGH for famous people to decide what to wear to the annual Costume Institute gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, fashion’s party of the year, even though Anna Wintour has been known to offer advice. But imagine the pressure facing guests at this year’s ball, on May 6, where the theme, as you might have heard, will be punk.

“No one has a clue,” said Cameron Silver, an owner of the Los Angeles vintage boutique Decades, who has been fielding pleas for hard-edged-but-will-land-me-in-Vogue fashion since the museum announced in September that the subject of its spring exhibition would be “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” What do you suggest to a client who can afford a $25,000-or-so ticket to the gala, but has nothing to wear? Stephen Sprouse from the 1980s? Or perhaps Vivienne Westwood’s “Cafe Society” gowns from 1994?

“We keep running into the same problem, which is that rich women don’t want to look punk, or grunge,” Mr. Silver said. “Not that many women want to look like Nancy Spungen.”

At Byronesque, a new online service for vintage aficionados, some stylists have been requesting just about anything with safety pins, like that Versace dress that Elizabeth Hurley wore to the premiere of “Four Weddings and a Funeral” in 1994. Gill Linton, the chief executive of the site, said she suspects most guests will end up playing it safe, as in safety pins as accessories. (This might prove embarrassing, since one of the mannequins will already be wearing a Versace dress.)

“There are a lot of Liz Hurley wannabes out there,” Ms. Linton said. “It could be more ‘cautious’ than ‘chaos.’”

The Costume Institute gala is many things: It is a barometer of the famous and powerful, a critical fund-raiser for the museum, a testament to the muscle of Ms. Wintour, who is a chairwoman. But one important thing that it is not is a costume party. Some original punks are expected to attend, including Ms. Westwood (accompanied by the actress-model Lily Cole), but most, it is safe to assume, will not literally be wearing Mohawks or garbage bags while they are looking at mannequins dressed in the same. Will they?

“I wake up with a Mohawk every day,” said the unfailingly elegant Carolina Herrera, but she was talking about a hairstyle more commonly known as bed head. The designer Lisa Perry, known for incorporating elements of Pop Art into her work, is busy constructing a black matte jersey halter column to which she has attached a thick leather choker. And she promises to have rainbow-colored hair, so that should be lively.

But in recent years, the red carpet has become so closely watched, with no less than four live streams planned this time, that a certain sense of spontaneity becomes lost when a large portion of the invited talent comes packaged by their hosts.

As with the Oscars, you begin to feel the pull of special interests here and there, and it might raise some eyebrows that Moda Operandi, a sponsor of the exhibition, announced this week that it has been coordinating looks with a handful of designers who will also make them available for purchase online on Tuesday. Dresses from Balmain, Rodarte, Nina Ricci and Wes Gordon are included, though it is not yet clear who will be wearing them. And shouldn’t those people get a cut of the action? Also, Samsung, which is collaborating on the live stream, is reportedly bringing Psy, someone probably not at the top of Ms. Wintour’s wish list.

While the museum will not confirm who will attend until Monday night, things do tend to leak. As usual, the star power will be overwhelming, and while things can always change, those rumored to be coming (spoiler alert!) include Jennifer Lopez with Michael Kors, Gwyneth Paltrow with Valentino, and Jennifer Lawrence and Marion Cotillard with Dior. Alexander Wang is said to be working on a custom Balenciaga look for Julianne Moore.

Some dates are sure to become talking points, like Debbie Harry and Nicki Minaj with Tommy Hilfiger, or the Fanning sisters, Elle and Dakota, with the Mulleavy sisters, Kate and Laura, of Rodarte. Joseph Altuzarra is bringing Allison Williams, Brian Atwood has Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Kane has Stella Tennant, and Peter Copping has Carolyn Murphy. Emma Roberts is attending with Diane von Furstenberg, Jessica Alba with Tory Burch, and Jaime King and Julianne Hough will be the guests of Topshop. Solange Knowles is coming with Humberto Leon and Carol Lim of Kenzo. Gisele Bündchen is said to be trying on an Anthony Vaccarello. Riccardo Tisci and Rooney Mara, two of the chairpersons, are coming together, so presumably she will be wearing Givenchy. And there will be many, many more.

Can any of them get punk just right?

“The one woman who could is Cher,” said Mr. Silver. “She wore a Mohawk to get an Oscar.”

One can only dream.

nytimes

 

[HeatherAnne]

Wow, big yawn, at these celebrities:

So Who's Taking Whom to the Met Ball

The months leading up to the annual Costume Institute Gala are shrouded in secrecy, especially when it comes to two things: who’s wearing what and who’s bringing whom. And this year’s punk theme should yield some interesting moments in both categories. However, we didn’t think about how much of a challenge the former might be. Apparently, no one knows what to wear, especially when the dress code requires one to channel the punk movement, while still winning Anna Wintour’s approval. Is such a thing even possible?

“We keep running into the same problem, which is that rich women don’t want to look punk, or grunge,” Decades’ Cameron Silver, who’s helping to dress people for the big day, told the New York Times‘ Eric Wilson. “Not that many women want to look like Nancy Spungen.”
Guests risk not being punk enough, not being formal and fashiony enough, and all looking the same. How many black dresses accessorized with safety pins are we going to see? Poor rich people. We feel really bad for them.

Let’s change the subject to something less sad: which celebrities are going with which designers? Wilson got the scoop on some big names (none of which are confirmed because it’s all a secret!) Here’s what’s rumored to go down, with a little help from WWD and the Post:

• Michael Kors is taking Jennifer Lopez
• Valentino is taking Gwyneth Paltrow
• Dior is taking Jennifer Lawrence and Marion Cotillard
• Alexander Wang is taking Julianne Moore for Balenciaga
• Tommy Hilfiger is hosting at his table and dressing (with a little help from Trash & Vaudeville) a very motley crew including Debbie Harry, Nicki Minaj, Zooey Deschanel, Lily Aldridge, screenwriter Jamie Linden, music publicist Jason Weinberg, musician Marky Ramone with wife Marion, actress Thalia Mottola, music executive Tommy Mottola, and Kings of Leon lead vocalist Caleb Followill
• Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy are taking Elle and Dakota Fanning (Aw, sisters!)
• Joseph Altuzarra is taking Allison Williams (who started doing research in March)
• Brian Atwood is taking Elizabeth Banks
• Christopher Kane is taking Stella Tennant
• Nina Ricci’s Peter Copping is taking Carolyn Murphy
• Diane Von Furstenberg is taking Emma Roberts
• Tory Burch is taking Jessica Alba
• Topshop is taking Jaime King and Julianne Hough
• Kenzo’s Humberto Leon and Carol Lim are taking Solange Knowles
• Anthony Vaccarello is taking Gisele Bundchen
• Riccardo Tisci is taking fellow co-chair Rooney Mara
• Burberry is taking (rumored new face) Sienna Miller
• Peter Pilotto is taking Brooklyn Decker
• Samsung is taking Psy (Yes, Psy.)
• Saint Laurent is taking Greta Gerwig (we hear)

John Galliano is not attending, even though his designs are featured in the exhibit. “One step at a time,” Galliano’s publicist Liz Rosenberg told the New York Post, when asked about whether the designer would attend the gala, adding, “and that’s one huge mother f – - kin’ staircase.”

fashionista

 

[softgrey]

speaking of cher and stephen sprouse...
...

you could always wear what Cher wore on David Letterman in 1986...
this FAB-ulous stephen sprouse jacket that i STILL really want to get my hands on someday...
God Save NYC...
...

just throw it over any fabulous black gown with some killer strappy heels/boots for the entrance and you're good...
...

take it off when you get inside and you won't feel silly or conspicuous...
but it will be there on your chair letting everyone know just how cool you really are...
B)......

rawr!...
people.com

frankly- i think this jacket should be part of the exhibit...
it's one of my fave articles of clothing...ever!!!

 

[Phuel]

Thanks for that article Cold. Is this Mr. Silver serious? Cher wearing a mohawk is punk? Cher is pure Vegas camp-- I'll take Kanye and Beyonce in this instance.

I'll agree lepetitecouturier that the punk movement born of frustration and nihilism in the mid-70s is dead-- you're right. But the spirit that punk spawned is not dead. It evolved, morphed, fused... I can't really speak of the complexity of the punk lifestyle as I've only ever been an observer. What I do find inspiring about punk in the context of fashion is when intelligent designers evolve that particular aesthetic beyond the caricature that it has become, infuse it with the relevance-- even irreverence of the times, cultures, politics and their own vision, into something new: Deconstructivism in fashion was/is another level to punk for me: What Helmut, Margiela and Ann did was in the spirit of punk. Gaultier romanticized punk and infused it with other cultures; McQueen the man created whole new, startling worlds with punk; and Rei gave punk intelligence and a thoughtfulness that changed how classless high fashion can be. They all did it in the context of fashion, and in that sense, it is contrived, and not really what punk was genuinely about-- but I don't care, because they made me see it in a completely new light-- even a new dimension. And that is what the most talented, skilled and thoughtful of designers are able to do.

 

[Littleathquakes]

Psy...really? I agree that punk, as a movement, was anti-fashion; however, its fashion has a place in fashion history. Kinda paradoxical. But this attendance list tells me this punk exhibit is totally anti-punk. Now we're just running in circles with this thing.

 

[Cold]

the spirit that punk spawned is not dead. It evolved, morphed, fused... I can't really speak of the complexity of the punk lifestyle as I've only ever been an observer. What I do find inspiring about punk in the context of fashion is when intelligent designers evolve that particular aesthetic beyond the caricature that it has become, infuse it with the relevance-- even irreverence of the times, cultures, politics and their own vision, into something new: Deconstructivism in fashion was/is another level to punk for me: What Helmut, Margiela and Ann did was in the spirit of punk. Gaultier romanticized punk and infused it with other cultures; McQueen the man created whole new, startling worlds with punk; and Rei gave punk intelligence and a thoughtfulness that changed how classless high fashion can be. They all did it in the context of fashion, and in that sense, it is contrived, and not really what punk was genuinely about-- but I don't care, because they made me see it in a completely new light-- even a new dimension. And that is what the most talented, skilled and thoughtful of designers are able to do.

I agree with your points. Punk has always been an omnipresent entity and while it doesn't necessarily thrive on its raw essence, the element is still strongly incorporated and the inspiration is very much alive, especially the attitude of punk infused in clothes. People tend to think that just because they don't see a blatant display of what punk is that it's no longer useful and relevant to the innovation of fashion when actually, it's always been a subtle element that's constantly evolving.

On another note, I thought Altuzarra was going with Emilia Clarke. I've also seen rumours floating that Marc might be taking Kate again this year and Olivier Rousteing will be taking Zoe Saldana.

 

[lepetitcouturier]

If Carla Bruni were to be going, for some reason I wish she'd wear the fur thong she wore for Westwood back in the nineties...

 

[Spike413]

Thanks for that article Cold. Is this Mr. Silver serious? Cher wearing a mohawk is punk? Cher is pure Vegas camp-- I'll take Kanye and Beyonce in this instance.

I'll agree lepetitecouturier that the punk movement born of frustration and nihilism in the mid-70s is dead-- you're right. But the spirit that punk spawned is not dead. It evolved, morphed, fused... I can't really speak of the complexity of the punk lifestyle as I've only ever been an observer. What I do find inspiring about punk in the context of fashion is when intelligent designers evolve that particular aesthetic beyond the caricature that it has become, infuse it with the relevance-- even irreverence of the times, cultures, politics and their own vision, into something new: Deconstructivism in fashion was/is another level to punk for me: What Helmut, Margiela and Ann did was in the spirit of punk. Gaultier romanticized punk and infused it with other cultures; McQueen the man created whole new, startling worlds with punk; and Rei gave punk intelligence and a thoughtfulness that changed how classless high fashion can be. They all did it in the context of fashion, and in that sense, it is contrived, and not really what punk was genuinely about-- but I don't care, because they made me see it in a completely new light-- even a new dimension. And that is what the most talented, skilled and thoughtful of designers are able to do.

I'd say the attitude of that outfit very much was, if not the look itself. She didn't give a flying f*** about how "inappropriate" her outfit was for something as established and serious as the Oscars. When looked at in a more interpretive way I think yeah, that was pretty punk of her.

 

[Scott]

^yeah i think that was pretty much cameron's point. just her attitude toward the established sector of hollywood....kind of like when bjork showed up at these awards in that marjan pejoski or the bernhard willhelm at the GG.....that was a very punk,nonconformist attitude.

btw,brooklyn decker with peter pilotto?? did i read that right....a sports illustrated tart with an idiosyncratic designer. wow,how low have we become.

anyway,i suppose the dressing literally isn't so much my issue....but as phuel so articulately described,one would hope we see some of the spirit through other incarnations....showing how much of an impact it really has had on designers since those days. i'd love to see some vintage HL or margiela....maybe some old-school deconstructivistic kawakubo.

 

[Lackuiew]

Burberry is taking a lot of celebrities

 

[Phuel]

Spike & Scott (that's almost like a punk duo LOL Fair enough of Cher and Bjork's "punky" spirit. I just think that punk was more about a defiant, confrontational statement that was meant to frighten, intimidate and offend the bourgeois sensibilities. Cher and Bjork-- and Trey Parker & Matt Stone in drag, amused and entertained people more than they offended: It was more "Oh, look at those kooky millionaires. How cute." For me, It's just hard for me to take CHer's style in any way but pure camp when Bob Mackie dresses her. It's all very Hollywood thinking they're hardcore because they're wearing a mohawk, safety pins and pvc-- which no doubt, will be the punk uniform at the gala. Nothing defines punk like Versace.

Hollywood would never wear real Helmut, classic MMM and CdG.

 

[Rightguard]

I would love to see Grace Jones, but that ain't happening.

 

[Daydreamer70]

The met gala is always a mess of status quo celebrity crap, but I'm looking forward to the exhibit, I'm sure there will be some cool things that I haven't seen in person before.
I would argue that punk became fashion, the moment that Vivienne and Malcolm created the seditionaries collection in 1977, taking inspiration from what they saw in New york, and taking it to a more flamboyant and very calculated extreme (and I love them for it, btw). Their designs were never cheap, so they were not available to all, only the style and sentiment were. And before the the decade was over, Zhandra Rhodes did a high fashion "punk" collection.
Anti fashion is still fashion at the end of the day, and designers have been exploiting it at least since YSL did it with the beatniks and mods in the 60's for Dior.
I guess my point is that punk style became high fashion as well as caricature almost immediately, so I think it's somewhat pointless to bemoan this exhibit for participating in a trajectory that's been going on almost from day one.
The original punk movement was very brief, but the look of punk has been influencing fashion at every level ever since, which I think is quite amazing, and worthy of examination.

 

[VogueDisciple93]

WWD Exclusive: First Look at 'Punk' at the MET

NEW YORK — What do dirty toilets have in common with punk? Everything.

The Costume Institute’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture” features a striking — if not slightly verging on the gross *— replica of the bathroom at CBGB, the famed New York nightclub that is widely credited as one of the pioneer places of punk. “Patti Smith had this great comment about how all the action happened in the toilets at CBGBs,” said curator Andrew Bolton during an exclusive walkthrough of the exhibition, which officially opens to the public at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Thursday and runs through Aug. 14. The toilets, urinals and sinks add a suitably gritty touch to the display of 100 or so original punk outfits and designer clothes inspired by the movement.

“Everyone has an idea about punk,” Bolton said. “I think that’s what is so difficult to negotiate. In a way, we never set out to do a comprehensive history of punk. It was always a very specific, very conceptual take on punk.

“One of the reasons punks are difficult to define is because it originally started as a feeling, an impulse, so people still respond to it emotionally, even if they didn’t live through it,” he added. “We wanted to treat the subject matter with reverence, with punk individuals as heroes. Punk radicalized fashion, and introduced postmodernism to it — the collecting, the mixing of references, deconstruction."

The exhibition makes a case for the movement’s origins in London and New York and how it influenced high fashion through today.

The entry gallery at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall features a 16-foot-high LED screen showing a mosh pit of punks pogo-ing to music from “A Clockwork Orange.” Framing this is an original parachute shirt by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, and a riff on it by John Galliano for Christian Dior Haute Couture. “It sets the scene of chaos to couture, sidewalk to catwalk,” noted Bolton.

The entry leads to a theme of punk’s origins in New York and London — including the CBGB replica and another room built to mimic Seditionaries, Westwood and McLaren’s store at 430 Kings Road.

“To me the legacy of punk on high fashion is the aesthetic of the DIY,” Bolton said. The do-it-yourself galleries include Hardware, ie. studs, razor blades and safety pins, such as the Versace dress that made Elizabeth Hurley famous; Bricolage, with recycled materials like trash bags, including dresses from Gareth Pugh’s fall 2013 collection, and Graffiti and Agitprop, with Stephen Sprouse, Katharine Hamnett, Maison Martin Margiela, Moschino and more Westwood.

The architecture of the exhibition is surprisingly grand — moldings and arched display sets made of Styrofoam or actual trash that has been vacuum packed to drive home the DIY message.

“We wanted to have this real grandeur because we are treating the subject and the punks themselves are these heroic figures in terms of fashion,” Bolton said.

“Every designer has done punk at some stage,” he noted, “but I wanted to focus on designers who had engaged with it more consistently and, in a way, more intellectually.”

The exhibition will be feted at the Costume Institute benefit tonight, with Beyoncé as honorary chair and cochairs Rooney Mara, Lauren Santo Domingo of Moda Operandi, Riccardo Tisci and Anna Wintour.

The show ends with the DYI Destroy gallery, which includes ripped looks by Yohji Yamamoto, Chanel and Viktor & Rolf, as well as several pieces by Comme des Garçons. “I think that more than any other designer, Rei Kawakubo engages with punk as an intellectual paradigm,” Bolton noted. “We end with the ultimate deconstructed piece by Martin Margiela, which is a piece of fabric strapped around the body, and we gave it a last gesture as you leave.” The mannequin is flipping the bird.

wwd.com

 

[softgrey]

The met gala is always a mess of status quo celebrity crap, but I'm looking forward to the exhibit, I'm sure there will be some cool things that I haven't seen in person before.
I would argue that punk became fashion, the moment that Vivienne and Malcolm created the seditionaries collection in 1977, taking inspiration from what they saw in New york, and taking it to a more flamboyant and very calculated extreme (and I love them for it, btw). Their designs were never cheap, so they were not available to all, only the style and sentiment were. And before the the decade was over, Zhandra Rhodes did a high fashion "punk" collection.
Anti fashion is still fashion at the end of the day, and designers have been exploiting it at least since YSL did it with the beatniks and mods in the 60's for Dior.
I guess my point is that punk style became high fashion as well as caricature almost immediately, so I think it's somewhat pointless to bemoan this exhibit for participating in a trajectory that's been going on almost from day one.
The original punk movement was very brief, but the look of punk has been influencing fashion at every level ever since, which I think is quite amazing, and worthy of examination.

nice post...

based on the wwd pics it would seem that the exhibit will not disappoint...
yipee zippity doo da...


i like this Bolton dude...
he's a super geek, which i think is--- AWESOME...
he has answers for everything and you can tell that this entire thing was put together thoughtfully and with care...


plus- i hope that the met gets loads and loads of money from this...
did you know?
it's one of the only museums in the world where the admission fee is voluntary...
one of the greatest art collections on the planet and it is accessible to the masses not matter their financial status...

(MOMA charges $25 a head now, can you imagine what that does to families who want to visit regularly?!)

 

[Chanelcouture09]

I received this years exhibition catalog this morning and I have to say it's one of the most visually stunning books that I've seen in a while there are incredibly in depth introductions by Andrew Bolton, Richard Hell & Jon Savage.

The catalog is made up of archive catwalk images (mainly by Galliano, Westwood, McQueen and Helmut Land with other designers such as Balmain, Chanel etc etc) and editorial content from over the past decade or so.

If anyone wants snaps of the catalog then I will post some.

 

[softgrey]

oh yes!...a few pics would be lovely!!!

...

tia

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Andrews introduction spans over 6 pages btw.








*Snapped by Chanelcouture09

 

[mcgowan]

i'm a little late but as per the discussion on the "guestlist" on #78 it isn't accurate, not only because of what was previously mentioned about the williams sisters but also because you can clearly see both the s's and the w's and neither mentioned hailee steinfeld or olivia wilde who've both been confirmed by their make up artists/stylists as attendees, so that is probably just the benefit committee.