Daphne Guinness for Alexander McQueen - Is Fashion Art?

Daphne Guinness got ready for the Met Costume Gala in the window of Barneys in NYC as a performance art tribute to her friend Alexander McQueen, in honor of the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. “Can fashion ever be art?” I may be repeating myself, but in my opinion the answer is yes, but one thing is not more valid than the other. It is not a matter of “better than” but a difference in perception. I think my position has always been clear, though some would disagree. It could not by any means be argued that all fashion is art, nor all designers artists, but figures such as McQueen, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga (among others) prove that occasionally there exist exceptional creative minds, groundbreaking artists, who just happen to have chosen clothing as their canvas. I feel that the clothing industry has become increasingly confused, its identity increasingly fractured by corporate demands. I believe there has been a lull in the last two decades, and my prediction is that this will lead to some sort of explosion of ideas." 'Remembrance of Things Past: Daphne Guinness on Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow Behind the Windows at Barneys', Vogue.com.
So what is art? The age old question that takes me back to my Art History 101 lectures. I believe that fashion can unequivocally be art. At University they told us that one categorization of art is Art is "what the 'art world' tells you is art"- the art world being artists, dealers, curators etc. I believe that art something you find interesting or beautiful or moves you. It could be an inanimate object, or an installation or video - such as McQueen's Kate Moss hologram. Or a storm, or a rainbow. Something that causes a reaction. Fashion most definitely does this for me. A Nicholas Kirkwood shoe - like sculpture. A mille feuille of ruffles by Versace Couture cascading around Sarah Jessica Parker in the final episode of 'Sex and the City'. Sir Francis Bacon said "Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse." I like that quote.
Daphne has purchased Isabella Blow's entire collection and hopes to exhibit it one day. "Ever since I purchased it after her death, I have toyed and struggled with how best to illuminate her collection—the most vivid representation of who she was, evoking memories of her perfect idiosyncrasies, her quick eye, and her wonderful daring persona...It became apparent to me that it was a good way to start to curate her collection as well as my own and to share it with people who appreciate art as fashion."

Isabella Blow by by Steven Meisel, 1993

"It’s Issy—it’s her DNA—it should not be scattered to the four winds. "I want it to remain as a monument."

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty runs at the Met until July 31st. Surprisingly, only a handful of celebs rocked up to the Met Costume Gala wearing McQueen - here they are, in order of my favourites.

Karen Elson

Daphne

SJP

Giselle

Chloe Sevigny

Naomi Campbell

See here for more on the divine Ms Guinness, and here for more on Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen.

Oscars 2011!

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein Collection

I looove the Oscars. I love Celeb Award Shows because I just love to swoon over the fashion! As my sister says in her Blog, to us it's like a one day test or All Blacks Game are to some - something we look forward to every year. And THIS year I finally have cable - so for the first time since I lived in Sydney (where they showed the Oscars and the Golden Globes on terrestrial TV), I can watch the Oscars, and the E Red Carpet special.

I have to say, for me this year it was all about RED. Loving it. New ingenue Jennifer's Lawrence's gorgeous Calvin Klein Collection gown was a standout for me, as were CK's similar dresses on Clare Danes and Emma Stone at the Golden Globes - see those dresses here.

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein Collection

Rhea Durham (Mark's wife) in Naeem Kahn

Jennifer Hudson in Tangerine Versace

Anne Hathaway in Valentino

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang

Other Faves - I always love a bit of glitzy beading. Designers like Marchesa, Gucci, Versace, Givency, Valentino and Oscar de la Renta are usually the go-tos for pretty/sexy dresses for awards shows. Hilary Swank's gorgeous Gucci below is a gorgeous safe-bet standard glam awards gown - the pale/nude shade, glittery/beaded full-length number. Halle Berry and Michelle Williams have followed suit.

Hilary Swank in Gucci

Halle Berry in Marchesa

Michelle has redeemed herself after a run of ugly dresses this awards season, in this pretty, sexy yet still demure number. She must've read the reviews & fashion police and has opted also opted for a safe bet, choosing Oscar de la Renta. I do like the fact she went for a high neck, which is consistent with her not-too-sexy style mantra.

Michelle Williamson in Oscar de la Renta

You can't go wrong with classic black - love the low cut - paired with the austere hair, it's not too 'hoochie'. Beautiful and elegant, yet sexy.

Camila Alves in Kaufman Franco (?)

I'm just not sure about these ones...Cate Blanchett's Givenchy gown got a lot of kudos, and my sister loves it! See more here. But alas when watching on telly when Cate arrived I had my strongest negative opinion yet - not enamored with the lilac and yellow, and the cut out stomach bit framed with bobbly things grossed me out completely because it totally reminds me of those anatomy dolls with the stomach cut out to reveal the innards - yukky! However I, like the silhouette and cut of the dress - just without the ugly bobbly bits and cut out tummy.

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy

I'm on the fence about Florence's - not sure. I don't usually like yellow but maybe in 'real life', with her red hair, this one may have looked rather charmingly, prettily Victorian?

Florence Welch in Valentino

When I saw Mila, I was seriously worried her boobs were going to pop out - a bit too lingerie like for me. And I can't get past lilac - reminds me of a Nana. perhaps if it was in a dark violet, I'd think differently.Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

Mila's co-star Natalie - I really don't like burgundy! On telly this dress looks very maroon, -but more pink here. I'm not in love with it but I do like the fact she wore Rodarte - beautiful costumes they designed for Black Swan - see my Post on that here. Poor Natalie had to face questions about her association with Dior (she stars in Dior's new Miss Cherie perfume ads), following the maelstrom regarding John Galliano's anti-semitic remarks - and admirable subsequent firing from Dior. So onto more burgundy - Scarlett Johannson in Dolce & Gabbana. I really dislike the wine coloured, 2-toned lace curtain/doily look. Not good.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

Scarlet Johansson in Dolce & Gabbana

Do not like NK's either - kind of ugly and too angular. Not sure what the orange peep-toes are about either. Also unfortunately she chose Dior right before Galliano-gate.

Nicole Kidman in Dior

I shall end with the wonderfully eccentric Helena Bonham Carter - because she's just fabulous, not matter what she wears!

Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood (& Union Jack flag)

Most images are taken from ELLE's online Oscars 2011 best-dressed slide show.

Model vs Actress - Who is 'on Vogue'?

Niki Taylor (below, in full 90's mode) has spoken out about the increasing numbers of fashion contracts & covers being swooped up be celebrities - mainly, actresses. When asked the question What changes in consciousness would you like to see in the fashion industry?", Niki replied to FutureClaw mag "Put models back on covers of magazines and in campaigns and let the movie stars do movies."

Niki was one of the supers back in the 90's. My favourite Niki Taylor shot is from UK Vogue (top of post). I had it on my wall circa 1992, she's wearing a Vivienne Westwood bustier outfit and is looking very Cindy C - people used to confuse the two of them. It's also great to see Cindy Crawford in the same mag! And to see the 90's supers featuring in the fashion glossies again - Amber Valetta, Kristin McMenamy, Naomi Campbell - and Kate Moss never left!

Niki sometimes modeled with her pretty younger sister, Krissy. Tragically, Krissy died in 1995, from an acute asthma attack stemming from cardiac arrhythmia.

6 Years later, Niki was involved a horrific car crash in 2001, resulting a coma for 6 weeks with injuries to her back, lungs and liver. It took 56 doctors to operate on her spine. This FutureClaw image is a nod to that surgery.
I can see where Niki's coming from - heavyweight fashions mags such as W, US Vogue and ELLE especially have been putting actresses on their covers for a long time now, and UK Vogue and ELLE has started to features actresses a lot more often, with Lily Allen, Demi Moore, Keira Knightly, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Carey Mulligan, Kate Hudson some of the latest, off the top of my head. And lately, it seems labels and fashion House campaigns feature actresses more often than not - Julianne Moore for Bulgari, Madonna and Scarlet Johannson for Dolce & Gabbana, Victoria Beckham and Sofia Coppola for Marc Jacobs, January Jones for Versace, Lily Allen for Chanel, Leighton Meester for Missoni...it goes on. Let actresses promote other products - like Scarlet's cool campaign for Moet & Chandon, below.

Personally, give me a model any day - we all know that 99% of actresses don't even choose their outfits, yet are lauded as fashion icons. It's duplicitous. At least, for the most part, models actually live and breath fashion, they have access to the best of the best and they innately style themselves to suit. Granted, they have the access to all of the labels - but they still don't need to pay a stylist to dress them in the morning. Look no further than at one of the most admired, imitated fashion icons of our generation for proof - Kate Moss. You can just see her pulling out a fur gilet and her Westwood boots after a night on the booze with the band.

Case in point - the Vogue UK edition with Emma Watson on the cover. A very wishy-washy, drab cover, yet inside is an A-Mazing Testino shoot, Star Girls- 'A Decade of Supermodels' - this Thread from The Fashionspot concurs. One of the model shots should have been the cover. I mean, just take a butcher's at these:

I understand that fashion houses think that getting celeb to front a line will bring in big bucks. But personally, I think let the models do their thing - actresses, stick to your own media!