Met Gala and Exhibition: “China: Through the Looking Glass"

“China: Through the Looking Glass,” a spectacular exhibition curated and organized by Andrew Bolton opened Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with production design by Nathan Crowley. Two years in the making, installed both in the Anna Wintour Costume Center and within the grand backdrop of the museum’s Chinese Galleries—a first for contemporary fashion—the show juxtaposes masterpieces of Chinese art and rare artifacts with works by (mostly) Western designers, inspired by the idea of China but emerging from the wilder shores of the imagination. By Leslie Camhi
 

Fashion Editor: Grace Coddington   Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, May 2015

At the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2009 show in Paris, John Galliano’s lining on a cream silk ball gown (worn by model Fei Fei Sun) referenced the designer’s fascination with blue-and-white porcelain.

At the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2009 show in Paris, John Galliano’s lining on a cream silk ball gown (worn by model Fei Fei Sun) referenced the designer’s fascination with blue-and-white porcelain.

Designers’ imaginations have been fired by visions of pleasure pavilions and blossoming branches, with a handful of familiar motifs emblematic of China itself: the peony, the pagoda, the phoenix captive on the grounds of a summer palace.

Alexander McQueen dress embroidered with birds, butterflies, and flowers, from Autumn 2006.  

Alexander McQueen dress embroidered with birds, butterflies, and flowers, from Autumn 2006.  

Many of the garden motifs we associate with China were first popularized in the West by the aristocracy of France and England as patterns on imported or domestic-imitation china and wallpaper.

Valentino created this blue-and-white bouquet-printed gown in Autumn 1968.

Valentino created this blue-and-white bouquet-printed gown in Autumn 1968.

Peacocks, cranes, and other gorgeous winged creatures appear on many of the garments in the exhibition.

Mei Lanfang, a 20th-century Peking Opera singer famous for playing female roles, inspired John Galliano’s Spring 2003 Christian Dior Haute Couture collection, including this theatrical ensemble and gilded headpiece, which will be showcased in the ex…

Mei Lanfang, a 20th-century Peking Opera singer famous for playing female roles, inspired John Galliano’s Spring 2003 Christian Dior Haute Couture collection, including this theatrical ensemble and gilded headpiece, which will be showcased in the exhibition.  

Scarlet has so many associations: firecrackers in their bright wrappers; the lucky red-paper trinkets of the Chinese New Year. John Galliano summoned to mind these references for Christian Dior Haute Couture in Spring 1997 with this silk fringed dre…

Scarlet has so many associations: firecrackers in their bright wrappers; the lucky red-paper trinkets of the Chinese New Year. John Galliano summoned to mind these references for Christian Dior Haute Couture in Spring 1997 with this silk fringed dress with a delicate tracing of flowers from the shoulder.

Image Source & Rights:  Vogue    Steven Meisel    Text Source & Rights:   Vogue    Leslie Camhi

Hair: Guido Palau; Makeup: Pat McGrath for CoverGirl: Produced by PRODn at Art + Commerce; Set Design: Mary Howard; Wallpaper: Courtesy of de Gournay; Dressing: Madame Paulette   Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, May 2015

 

It was not your average night at the museum, but the biggest and boldest night on fashion’s calendar—the Met Gala. About 600 guests wound their way through the red-carpet tumult and into the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s entrance hall, dominated for the night by a gigantic chinoiserie vase created entirely by white and blue roses. Up the grand staircase lined by fragrant, verdant bamboo they walked, past Vogue staffers clad in pale jade and lapis–toned Michael Kors pajamas.

Tabitha Simmons and Coco Brandolini D'Adda, both in Dolce & Gabbana  Photo by Taylor Jewell

Tabitha Simmons and Coco Brandolini D'Adda, both in Dolce & Gabbana  Photo by Taylor Jewell

Entrance Hall dominated by a gigantic chinoiserie vase created entirely by white and blue roses. Photo by Taylor Jewell

Entrance Hall dominated by a gigantic chinoiserie vase created entirely by white and blue roses. Photo by Taylor Jewell

Ivanka Trump in Prabal Gurung and Jared Kushner. Photo by Taylor Jewell

Ivanka Trump in Prabal Gurung and Jared Kushner. Photo by Taylor Jewell

Karen Elson in Dolce Alta Moda        Photo: Kevin Tachman/ Vogue

Karen Elson in Dolce Alta Moda        Photo: Kevin Tachman/ Vogue

With fashion's heavy hitters and Hollywood's most stylish in attendance, the arrivals always end up being the most jaw-dropping of the year.

Rihanna in Guo Pei Couture      Getty Images / Dimitrios Kambouris

Rihanna in Guo Pei Couture      Getty Images / Dimitrios Kambouris

 Rihanna in Guo Pei Couture                                     …

 

Rihanna in Guo Pei Couture                                         Getty Images/ Dimitrios Kambouris

Rihanna arrived draped in a vast fur-lined gold robe —a couture creation that took more than 50,000 hours to make by Chinese designer Guo Pei.

Kim Kardashian in custom Roberto Cavalli                      Getty Images/ Larry Busacca

Kim Kardashian in custom Roberto Cavalli                      Getty Images/ Larry Busacca

Kerry Washington in Prada       Getty Images/ Larry Busacca

Kerry Washington in Prada       Getty Images/ Larry Busacca

Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu            Wireimage/ Kevin Mazur

Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu            Wireimage/ Kevin Mazur

Brie Larson, Courtney Eaton and Annabelle Wallis        Getty Images/ Larry Busacca 

Brie Larson, Courtney Eaton and Annabelle Wallis        Getty Images/ Larry Busacca
 

Bee Shaffer in Alexander McQueen     Getty Images

Bee Shaffer in Alexander McQueen     Getty Images

Karen Elson in Dolce Alta Moda               Getty Images/Larry Busacca        

Karen Elson in Dolce Alta Moda               Getty Images/Larry Busacca        

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Haute Couture     Photo: Taylor Jewell/ Vogue

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Haute Couture     Photo: Taylor Jewell/ Vogue

Annabelle Wallis and Tabitha Simmons both in Dolce Alta Moda     Photo: Taylor Jewell/Vogue

Annabelle Wallis and Tabitha Simmons both in Dolce Alta Moda     Photo: Taylor Jewell/Vogue

The Table      Photo by Daniel Arnold/ Vogue

The Table      Photo by Daniel Arnold/ Vogue

Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu       Photo by Taylor Jewell/ Vogue

Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu       Photo by Taylor Jewell/ Vogue

Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Wendi Murdoch, and Li Bingbing           Photo: David X Prutting/bfanyc.com

Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Wendi Murdoch, and Li Bingbing           Photo: David X Prutting/bfanyc.com

Rihanna performing  Photo: Kevin Tachman/ Vogue

Rihanna performing  Photo: Kevin Tachman/ Vogue

Image Sources :  Vogue.com   Style.com  Hollywoodreporter.com  Popsugar.com

Text Source:  Vogue.com   NYTimes.com

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