“China Through the Looking Glass” @ the MET
If you haven’t visited the MET to see the Costume Institute’s “China Through the Looking Glass” exhibit you still have time and you should definitely go. The exhibition explores Chinese influences on western fashion but make no mistake; it is no historical representation. Instead, the exhibit is a showcase of the opulent, Avant-garde and sometimes quirky extractions from Chinese culture, paired with historical references. For this reason, it’s worth exploring how seemingly extreme differences can become culturally iconic fashion vignettes distilled through our own lens, as common place.
I’ve paired some themes from the exhibit with current fashion imagery that take influence from those themes, to point out that inspiration can come from all corners of the world in large and small doses.
(Vogue 2015)
“Porcelain Dolls”
“Flowers of Fire”
“Back East”
(Vogue 2015)
“Enter the Dragon”
“English Garden?”
(Vogue 2015) 
(WGSN Trend S/S 2014) 
“Big Blooms”
“Reverse Affect”
(vogue 2015) 
(right: Dior 2015) 
“Erte’ Arrival”
“Monastic Zen”
“Gilded Age”
(Vogue 2015) 
(Vogue 2015)
“Chunky Necklaces”
“Pop Art Iconography”
“Calligraphy”
( John Galliano)
My absolute favorites of course, are the ones that completely escape the realm of wearable reality. This Galliano pile of genius is what I’m referring to. I just love it!
