Monday, May 23, 2011

Interiors

I've been circling this page for weeks now, it seems, not knowing quite how to approach it, or for that matter all of you. Should I talk about that ball? You know the one I mean? Anna's party that is no longer anything that resembles the Costume Institute ball of years ago. I wonder if you all would have been interested or amused by the legion of savaged beauties that lined up to be presented to the Queen, I mean Ms. Wintour, the closest thing we have here to an actual monarch. Would you have been as stupefied as I was just taking in the sheer numbers of celebrities, models, designers, social butterflies, editors, bankers, PR agents, handlers, walkers and Cadillac Escalade dealers, not to mention stylists, personal trainers, life coaches, Housewives, photographers, and sundry assistants. Let's not forget the Fashion directors, General Merchandise managers, curators, window dressers, window dressers dressing as Fashion directors, patrons, members of the board of directors, "wives" of fashion designers, "children" of aforementioned fashion designers and their girlfriends and boyfriends. In all those varied guests did you notice that I failed to mention just plain "folks" ? Well. I didn't because there weren't any. Not this year or last for that matter. Folks don't seem to work in this mix. The stage is set now with the principals and the audience is just more of the same. It's one nice neat circle jerk. I think that all the trains on all of those gowns and the robes on some men which had trains that dwarfed some of the women's, well all that soiled fabric is just a metaphoric mop to keep the limestone floors dry enough to ward off any untoward legal battles. Imagine the problems the Met would face with lawsuits had some brittle legs snapped slipping and sliding through all that jizz. If a bomb had dropped we'd all have a second chance at rebuilding the culture that has all but vanished from the planet. Aside from the brilliant exhibition that Andrew Bolton, Curator for the Costume Institute has staged the highpoint of the night was Daphne Guinness undressing in a shop window and perhaps some over faced assistants pushing Beyonce's ample rear end up the steps of the museum. I have to mention the sad statement that Tom Ford and Carolyn Murphy made. I didn't realize he could design an ugly dress and then force a beautiful woman to wear it... So I hesitated to discuss that or the other events of the past few weeks. It's been a slow one around here. The wedding was more newsworthy but we ALL caught that one, even those of us sitting in the cheap seats. I did take in L'Amour Fou, the compelling documentary on YSL and Pierre Berge. I went 2 days in a row and could still stand to see it again. That is a visual feast. The art, the archival footage, Saint Laurent talking, sketching, unravelling; all of it fascinating. I can't help but think that his story ended in a timely way. His benchmarks were set, the stage was packed and a full house cheered. His point was made. As I watch Marc pump and preen in the mirror of my gym, I ask myself what will be the essence of his contribution? For the life of me I just don't know. It probably won't matter by then. It doesn't matter now.

13 comments:

a reference said...

Met Ball: Oh, how I have been waiting for this post. Yes, it was worth the wait. After looking at the pictures, I don't even remember anyone being that remarkable save for Naomi and Daphne.

YSL Doc: Thanks for the tip! I will see this during the weekend. How did I not know about this? You really need to be on twitter so you can inform folks like me of such matters!

Marc: Oh haven't you seen his rain boots and keychains? The really are legendary.

Unknown said...

Ditto what thelinesheet said. I will be seeing that documentary this week. Thank goodness it's crappy outside.

Casey said...

AW is wearing the most hideous dress I've ever seen!

MsGodarkly said...

Oh Eric, I shall have to hunt down the YSL documentary as I've just finished reading the 'The Beautiful Fall' by Alicia Drake. If you haven't read it then you have to. 70's excess and the friendship/rivalry between Yves and Karl. KL attempted to have it banned - unsuccessfuly. I couldn't put it down. MsGodarkly x

Anonymous said...

I think Andre's train looks pretty cool, would love to walk up the stairs at the Met in that (and I am a pretty butch boy!)

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hughman said...

i remember centuries ago being asked to go as someone's "plus one" to the Ball and i thought "why the fuck would i want to go to some fashion clique circle jerk when i see these people all the time from work?" now, of course, i see these people all the time everywhere and my response would be the same. when it moves from fun into an industry is when you know it's time to grab your coat and flee. this stupendous show of mediocrity (it's a COSTUME BALL PEOPLE, not a junior prom!) must really chap ms. wintour to no end. or it doesn't, which makes it all the more sad.

spirou said...

One of you best post, worth the wait. Waiting for the scent and the book.The blending of movie business /music business/fashion business has given us just THAT : the Fashion Ball. Trying to be Elitist, the Ball is just a gutter brawl. At the MET no less... Los Angeles has the Kodack theater for the Academy Award. Should we rename the Met , the Kodack East ?
Do you remember the MET , the museum of Modern Art, before it got invaded by the Philistines? The Met was our Mecca,we would pay a penny to get in ( pay what you want was the rule then) We came to see ART, we came to reflect,new doors would be opened, we would leave in awe and full of hope. Now I don't think they have a strong enough disinfectant to clean the place up. Walking in the immensity of the Sonora desert is my new Mecca.

Anonymous said...

How could anyone think that dress (AW) is pretty? It looks like someones old bathrobe sans the sparkle from 1962.....

Anonymous said...

Cher Fluff:

My first thought - like others - was THIS WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!!

My second thought is - AREN'T THEY EVER GOING TO REPLACE THAT DREADFUL WOMAN? She may think she's royalty but there's no Act of Succession operating here! What happened to the once-brilliant and thrilling VOGUE that we all loved? There must be dozens of editors with REAL talent who would be only too thrilled to have this opportunity.

My third thought re the Met Ball harkened back to your post last year featuring, amonst others Scarey Frights, Carine R. and how much they all remind me of the brilliant Goya prints of witches and goblins - visual shorthand for the Powers That Were in his ambiance.

WORTH THE WAIT!!

spirou said...

Fluff. businessoffashion.com article May 23," My lunch with Carine"
I know, I know,we did this to death, but give it a read in between the lines...

Jane Kilpatrick Schott said...

I can't wait for the YSL documentary! I guess I will put aside a day and just sit through it three or four times.

Regarding my ALT...what the hell is he up to? who made his...whatever...Omar the Tent Maker?????

Dain said...

That was wonderfully refreshing to read. Awesome.