Calvin Klein, Patricia Fields (with a little help from the Sex in the City), Sean Jean? Or is it blue jeans, football jerseys, doc martins and baseball caps?  Or maybe still it is vintage coupled with couture, topped off with something you bought at the last DIY fair?

The first weekend of December, Niloo Paydar, Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts and I traveled to New York for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s annual symposium, entitled American Style. The symposium was hosted in conjunction with the exhibition American Beauty, Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion, on view until April 10, 2010 at the Museum of FIT.

Kleibacker on stage at FIT with his model, photo taken by me

Oh! And there is a catalogue too!!

The conference addressed many facets of what one might deem “American Style.” Professor Van Dyk Lewis spoke about Hip-Hop fashion while Holly George Warren, the former editor for Rolling Stone magazine, gave an insightful lecture on what she affectionately called “Cowboy Couture.” *I am enraptured with Manuel, by the way.  While the last lecture discussing American sub-cultural styles, was presented by David Colman on the phenomenon of Prep revival. And… we all know someone who is doing this, whether it involves popped collars or cardigans, everyone knows someone with just a little bit of Preppy in them. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Design, Travel

I AM A FASHION ADDICT.

It all started at an early age. As a young girl growing up in Southwestern Indiana, my Aunt Donna was far and away the most fashionable person I knew. She owned a few designer handbags, quite a few pairs of Ferragamo shoes, and an extensive jewelry collection. Always an impeccable dresser, she was the height of fashion in my young world.

20 years later, my passion for fashion has expanded significantly, but my Aunt is still at the heart of it all. I have inherited her shoes, her handbags, some of her jewelry, and most importantly, her appreciation for all things chic. I work hard at emulating her style. I’m not going to lie…I subscribe to 5 different fashion magazines. I also do my fair share of internet reading. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Web sites and blogs dedicated to fashion and I probably read about half of them.

Until recently I felt guilty about my style addiction. I only read www.style.com behind closed doors, because I felt it was frivolous and indulgent. However, with the opening of the IMA’s latest exhibition, Breaking the Mode: Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the tutorial of the IMA’s curator of textile and fashion arts, Niloo Paydar, I have learned that my love for fashion is another variation of my passion for art. PHEW!…I’m not nearly as shallow and superficial as I thought I was! Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Exhibitions, Marketing, Public Programs