Bulletproof Fashion

Gentle Reader -

The traditional fabrications of silks in fashion might be a bit old-fashioned. Performance fabrics may have new uses in high-end, prototypical fashion design:

A moisture-wicking afternoon dress?

Suppose you have been informed that your security detail may be compromised. Shouldn't your clothing be your first line of defense? What about an evening dress that is bulletproof?

Just a thought for future couture.

- AP

Masterdress: Cristóbal Balenciaga

Gentle Reader -

This image of a Balenciaga gown belongs to the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa (CBM), the home of many a vintage item made by arguably the greatest male designer of the previous century. Certainly we should give credit to his workrooms, those spaces where the clothes were actually made by skilled staff.

It's a masterdress from 1951, in a class all its own. It does not scream for attention; rather curiously, it has its own presence.

To make the online pilgrimage to the CBM, visit cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com.

- AP

Worth, Mainbocher: The Online Exhibition

Gentle Reader -

The Museum of the City of New York's exhibition of Worth & Mainbocher can be found here:

http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MNYO28_2

Welcome to a period when fashion was once set by the collaborative effort of personal and professional taste. To get the most of this online exhibition, it's best to use the "magnify" option to get to the details.

Two items of note among the clothes:

Worth: a pale blue evening dress from 1866-67 (ref. 62.190.1A-C)

Mainbocher: a black day dress from 1947 (fall, ref. 58.123.3)

Enjoy!

- AP

Cryptic Mondays: More Fashion Fragments

Gentle Reader -

Some cryptic fashion messages for this Monday:

* The 1940s deserve a re-evaluation: the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the modern era once coexisted in an intoxicating mix

* Geoffrey Beene: a past master that should not be underestimated

* Leather openwork: no, it is not the new lace. But it does reflect the moment.

* Maggy Rouff: overdue for rediscovery.

* Ungaro: ??? Exactly.

* Advice to Hedi at YSL: not too much Hedi, not too much Yves. Get the iconic pieces to work once again as a modern vocabulary

Enjoy unraveling these delightful fragments!

- AP