Pow! Bam! Zowie! Superheroes need fashion too!; Costume Institute Exhibition

[Spike413]

I'm probably going to visit either Monday or Tuesday. I can't wait to see the exhibit, since I've been kind of into comic books/superheroes lately.

 

[PoppyAzura]

I went today- not bad. tons of kids yelling "Spiderman!!" They have some first editions of various comic books on the walls and costumes from several recent movies.

They paired the dresses with various comic book characters- Catwoman, the Punisher, The Hulk, etc. Tons of Mulger. and Galliano and Bernard Wilhem

 

[softgrey]

i was going to let this go..
but...it is really irking me that some people..
especially in the starstyle thread actually...
do not really 'get' the definition of the word costume as it applies to the costume institute...

'costume'...does not refer to movie or halloween costumes...
it refers to the ways in which we adorn ourselves...
or a mode of dress..
early fashion textbooks were called things like 'the dictionary of costume'...
and it had nothing to do with disguises or superheroes...
it is all about how people dress...

in other words...
it is a literary term for 'FASHION'...
and because it is the MET...they chose not to call it the FASHION INSTITUTE...
besides...there was already a school with that name...
so it became the costume institute...

it's become a sort of outdated/outmoded term...
but it was never...ever... about costumes ...
in the pedestrian sense of the word...



unfortunately...
many people seem to have overlooked this or simply do not understand it..
*and possibly some do not care...

but ...
here are the accurate interpretations of the word ...


1.a style of dress, including accessories and hairdos, esp. that peculiar to a nation, region, group, or historical period.

2.dress or garb characteristic of another period, place, person, etc., as worn on the stage or at balls.

3.fashion of dress appropriate to a particular occasion or season: dancing costume; winter costume.

4.a set of garments, esp. women's garments, selected for wear at a single time; outfit; ensemble. –verb (used with object)

5.to dress; furnish with a costume; provide appropriate dress for: to costume a play. –adjective

6.of or characterized by the wearing of costumes: a costume party.

7.meant for use with or appropriate to a specific costume: costume accessories.

 

[ultramarine]

Whoa! This is struck hard to your soft!

The stars have fallen from the Costume Institute's crown ... thats for sure!

 

[kitten_77]

i was going to let this go..
but...it is really irking me that some people..
especially in the starstyle thread actually...
do not really 'get' the definition of the word costume as it applies to the costume institute...

i don't really get your point to be honest. you're arguing the definition of "costume" on the basis that it is being mis-used in the context of this exhibition, and yet the title of the exhibition is "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy". Unless im badly mistaken, the whole point is the linkage between the costumes of comic characters, and fashion. People don't claim to be re-defining "costume", they are merely interpreting the title of the exhibition!

So where are people going wrong?

 

[softgrey]

i'm not arguing the definition ....
i am clarifying it..
there is no argument...it is fact.

so-you probably missed where people were not happy with the way people were dressed at the gala...
and were saying...
'come on people...it's the COSTUME institute after all!...'...
those people missed the whole point of what costume means in this context...

what i am referring to has nothing to do with the title of the exhibit...
i never once mentioned that...
the exhibit title does not have the word costume in it after all...does it?...


i am referring to what the costume institute is and means...

 

[kitten_77]

^^ ok gotcha
i do see your point, i guess the ordinary man (or celeb) in the street probably doesn't give that much thought to the correct meaning of the Costume Institutue.

 

[lucy92]

i saw this exhibit....

it was amazing how cheap and chintzy some of the movie costumes looked...(ie michelle pfeiffer's catwoman's catsuit and tobey macguire's spiderman costumes)

my favourite exhibit was mugler's s/s 1992 motorcycle handlebar bustier...it felt somehow gratifying seeing this close up...more than 15 years after it was in george michael's "too funky" video...

i also really liked lynda carter's wonder woman costume...i can see why diane von furstenburg would want to create an upcoming dress collection inspired by this..nifty indeed....