Balenciaga in Black

Haute couture - fashion that is art.  A friend and I enjoyed a new exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth - Balenciaga in Black.   Stunning gowns and dresses, women's suits and coats - all designed by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972).

Made by hand in his ateliers, his work is all in black. But the luxurious fabrics and materials offered textures and shades of black that are rich in depth, and remarkable for the detail.

This is a stunning assembled collection of work, and the Kimbell is one of the few museums privileged to show it.

Wednesday Wow

 Captain Jack Sparrow - Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean

 Lara Flynn Boyle wore this in Land of the Blind (I never heard of it but the dressing is breathtaking)

 Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet in Sense and Sensibility

Keira Knightley in The Duchess

Cut! Costume and the Cinema is an exhibit at the Arlington Museum of Art  (www.arlingtonmuseum.org).  Thanks to Cosprop Ltd - England for sharing a fabulous exhibit.  Over 43 costumes from 27 period films - many Merchant Ivory winners.  Phantom of the Opera, Sherlock Holmes, The Prestige, and more.

The detail and sewing is stunning. And the waistlines for these actresses are tiny.
They did have a two leather coats from Daniel Craig in Defiance.  One was quite fresh, the other had been beaten with a hammer and aged for late in the film.  Nifty to see.

Beat the heat at a museum and feast your eyes on treasures of any sort.

Fashion: Jean Paul Gaultier

Way out there exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art - The fashion world of Jean Paul Gaultier. The man had a vision even as a young boy influenced by his grandmother in France, or digging through her drawers and creating a bustier for his teddy bear.

Whether it's futuristic designs for movies like The Fifth Element, or costumes for Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour, Gaultier's designs are unique, eyepopping, and distinctive. The couture aspect is demonstrated with the amount of hours noted to complete a piece. Sequins, feathers, lace, etc. are hand stitched, appliqued, or woven into intricate patterns for his seasonal themes.
I got a kick out of the cammo/wild hunter theme - oh yeah, I could see my husband in those outfits at his deer lease.

The museum exhibit is a fabulous experience. The mannequins' faces are animated - thus they pout, blink, and appear alive. It's disconcerting at times, yet fascinating. Step out of this world and into the future that is now - see Jean Paul Gaultier's exhibit through February 12, 2012.

C'est magnifique!