China: Through The Looking Glass

“China: Through the Looking Glass,” opened in May this year at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and with it’s record breaking attendance is a visual treat to the fashion conscious eye.

The name itself is fascinating, and like Alice, in the famous Lewis Carroll book, high fashion takes a peak through the “looking glass” at the influences of Chinese aesthetics on the Western designer, creating a mesmerizing wonderland union of East and West.

The exhibition is a collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art and is located in the Chinese Galleries, Egyptian Galleries, and the Anna Wintour Costume Center.

I was fortunate to visit a few weeks ago and below are a few pictures that provide a glimpse of the breathtaking collection.

Designer influences from three distinct periods are shown in the picture below;

The imperial Qing Dynasty period (1644-1911) on the left, followed by the modern Qipao (Republic of China 1912-1949) and finally the Mao suit (People’s Republic of China 1949-present)

Personally, The yellows of the Imperial period were my favorite. The “Manchu Robes” were the costumes of the imperial court and have been borrowed from the Palace museum of Beijing.

A closer look reveals the boats, clouds, mountains and of course the dragon.

In keeping with the yellow theme, here is another favorite. I loved the shorter hemline!

The Ralph Lauren Jacket with the red body and contrasting black lapel is a timeless piece.

The exquisite detailing in the back of these black dresses by Ralph Lauren and Jean Paul Gaultier!

A little gold and black, always classic!

I loved the pieces below, the black shade like dragon dress  and the one with the image of Buddha on the dress. I have always been a fan of the Buddha, although the Buddha in our Collection of scarves is the traditional Indian Buddha as opposed to the one from China, shown below.

Finally, the Chinese designer Guo Pei’s outstanding masterpiece. The bodice represents the lotus flower and the flower is replicated throughout the dress.

The stunning piece that takes up the room!

The exhibition closes on September 7th and hopefully you can catch it in the final few weeks!

The post China: Through The Looking Glass appeared first on Chetna Singh Silk Scarves.