China: Through the Looking Glass

For my 20th birthday my grandma took me to New York City to go to the Metropolitan Museum. The Met had an exhibition on display in their costume museum called China: Through the Looking Glass. The exhibition showcased different fashion designers and their interpretation of Chinese fashion as well as historical fashion and how their clothing changed throughout the years. This was very interesting to me because I love learning about culture, history, and of course fashion. 

I built this exhibition up in my head so much because I had been seeing pictures of it all over social media for weeks. I am glad to say that the exhibition lived up to my dreams and exceeded my expectations. 

 

They formatted the exhibition so that the old textile hung in a glass circle behind the new adaptation of the piece. The fabrics complimented each other and it was nice to recognize the beauty of the original garment and the high fashion. The colors were bright and a common theme in the clothes was embroidery. The embroidery was complex and so beautiful, you could tell it took a lot of work.

 This is another view of those dresses with the originals in the back.

This room was breathtakingly magnificent. Literally when everyone stepped in, you heard an audible gasp. It looks like the dresses were floating on water however, the "water" was just reaaaallly polished black granite that reflected this huge image of a planet. 

The technique of these dresses are fantastic. I couldn't get over how beautiful they all were. And now for the big finale...

My grandma and I walked all over the place trying to find this piece. I had seen it on Instagram and I couldn't wait to stand in front of it. I asked three different people directions before I found it and when I did... wow. My jaw dropped and that's no exaggeration. It was outstanding and I couldn't help but stare. This is what I came for. 

I loved my trip and I hope you did too!

Stay Fabulous! XOXO Alana