One of my happy places has always been The Met Fifth Avenue. I get particularly happy when they are having any type of fashion exhibit. This summer there is a two-part exhibit. Part One, In America: A Lexicon of Fasion and Part Two, In America: An Anthology of Fashion.

Lexicon is defined as a dictionary or vocabulary of a language, a people or a subject. The first signage you see for this exhibit is: In America A Lexicon of Fashion with a large “flag” made in denim.

“American fashion has traditionally been described through the language of sportwear and ready-to-wear, emphasizing principles of simplicity, practicality, functionality, and egalitarianism. Generally denied the emotional rhetoric applied to European fashion, its vernacular tends to sit in direct opposition to that of the haute couture. In America: A Lexicon of Fashion addresses this linguistic imbalance by presenting a revised vocabulary of American fashion based on its expressive qualities. This reappraisal coincides with the Costume Institute’s seventy-fifth anniversary, offering an opportunity to also celebrate the creativity and originally of designers working in the United States.

The exhibition takes inspiration from Jesse Jackson’s invocation of the patchwork quilt as a metaphor for this country and its unique cultural identities. The encased garments represent patches, which are organized into twelve sections that explore defining emotional qualities of American fashion: nostalgia, belonging, delight, joy, wonder, affinity, confidence, strength, desire, assurance, comfort and consciousness. The individual costumes reflect various expressions of these sentiments, as conveyed in the form of word-bubble headpieces. While each of these words is distinct to the associated design, they are stitched together through their emotional resonance, resulting in a richly textured quilt of American fashion that is as diverse, multifaceted, and heterogeneous as the nation itself.” (The Met)

There are 100 ensembles in this exhibit. All of the ensembles were fabulous to view. I have selected seven to share with you.

Part Two: In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Here we see fashion’s role in shaping American identity from the 19th to mid-late 20th century.

In this exhibit we get to see some of the American fashions coming to life. Individual names were known, and their designs were shaping American fashion and what women wanted to be wearing. Lord & Taylor’s campaign was evolving to reflect the changes in the social and professional roles for women. The campaign was “American Fashions for American Women”. Here are a couple of photos to show how American fashions started to develop. Lord & Taylor was truly responsible for promoting American designers.

These two dresses were from 1945.

Both Carolyn Schnurer (dress 1952) and Anne Fogarty (dress 1950-51) were both promoted in Lord & Taylor’s Young New Yorker Shop. And so began the Junior Market.

“Playsuits” Left- Claire McCardell-1950, Right- Bonnie Cashin-1946. These innovated looks were examples of the “American Look”. Looking at McCardell’s playsuits made me think of what we had to wear for gym class in the 60’s!

The portion of the exhibit that explored defining moments in nineteenth and twentieth century American fashion was done with individual vignettes produced by notable film directors who told the stories. Directors are Martin Scorsese, Chloe Zhao, Sofia Coppola, Radha Blank, Janicza Bravo, Julia Dash, Autumn de Wilde, Regina King and Tom Ford. Each one of these rooms was fascinating. My favorite was The Battle of Versailles. Tom Ford tells the story. It was November 28, 1973. It was conceived by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert and palace curator Gerald Van der Kamp as a fund raiser for the Palace. Five couturiers from France Marc Bohan for Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Emanuel Ungaro were pitted against U.S. ready-to-wear designers Bill Blass, Stephen Burows, Halston, Anne Klein and Oscar de la Renta. The Americans won over the audience with the modernity of their designs. This event shifted the dynamic of French haute couture and emerging American sportswear. The pictures are hard to see because of all of the reflections but try to tap on the photo and zoom in to see the designs.

Both parts of this exhibit were very interesting. It was much more cerebral than most fashion exhibits. All of this shows us that American sportswear and fashion is NOT just a pretty frock. If you have a chance to go, I think you will enjoy it. The exhibit runs until September 5, 2022.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a fashion show at Nordstrom. It was by invitation, so I was very impressed to be included. I am certain that it had something to do with my spending habits, so there is no need to be impressed!

I happen to love Nordstrom. For many years it has been my favorite store. In previous blogs I have referred to the store as “the Mothership”. I always think that something good will come out of a day when I shop at Nordstrom. My husband always said that I actually glowed when I stepped into the store. It’s true. And it has rarely disappointed me. I can always find some treasure there. And when I leave, I feel that I have found something I will love forever. As a fashion lover there is always something for me to learn about. It can be a new brand line for me or a new interpretation of a look.

Saturday was the beginning of the major store event-The Anniversary Sale. This sale opens to everyone on 7/15 and ends 7/31. Prices go up on 8/1. There are many top brands and customer favorites on sale. It is a good time to find some very exciting things for fall purchases.

Guests were invited to the fashion show to kick off the sale. It was held from 8:00-10:00 AM before the store opened. I got there a little before 8:00. I walked in through the entrance to the accessory department (my personal favorite) to the sound of a DJ playing Uptown Funk. I mean, honestly, could you not get happy and feel like dancing and smiling and taking out your credit card? There were associates all around asking if you needed any help and to tell you where to get something to eat. Or would you like coffee or a mimosa? There were 2 stations on the 1st floor and 2 stations on the 2nd floor. The new store manager, Carlin Eberhart, was circulating and introducing herself to her customers. This made the day even more personal for me. It added to the welcoming feeling at “the Mothership”.

The selection of edibles was outrageous- avocado toast, some creamy egg dish, a shrimp and avocado and greens dish, yogurt and toppings, fresh fruit, all kinds of pastry and fruit bars, water, juices, coffee, mimosas and more. The service was incredible and all at no charge.

The show ran twice, once at 8:30 and again at 9:15. I loved the way it was done. There was a flow of models by theme and after a few moments of the models together, they were then replaced one position at a time for the next themed group. There was no commentary. It kept your attention and gave you enough time to focus on something you might want to find later in the store.

I did of course find a couple of things to purchase and will go shopping again before the sale is over.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!