Heavenly Bodies : The Cloisters

Last Saturday I went to New York with my family  to see the "Heavenly Bodies" fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum while my husband graciously offered to stay home with our son. As fashion isn't really his area of interest (nor our toddler's), I decided maybe it wasn't a bad idea! They could have a boys' Saturday filled with swimming and bike riding and messing around in the garage, and I could have a lovely Saturday looking at all the beautiful clothes! 

The arrangement worked out like a dream, and we all had a great time in our respective ways. I took so many photos that my (originally fully charged) phone ran out of battery twice... I think I may need to consult with Apple about a replacement, as that can't be normal no matter how many pictures I'm taking. I shared some snaps on my Instagram but the majority I didn't have time to post anywhere; such a shame, because the exhibition was so beautiful it deserves to be shared far and wide! I'm going to have to break up the trip into separate blog posts because I truly took an insane amount of photos, and even so, this first part will be an incredibly picture-heavy post...

Little birds keeping us company at lunchtime! 

Our first stop on Saturday morning was at the Cloisters, where a portion of the Heavenly Bodies exhibit is on display. The Cloisters make the perfect setting to show off and complement the Catholic and religious themes of the clothes, so it was a glorious was to start off the day. It wasn't too terribly crowded either, so we were able to take our time and fully admire the clothes from every angle. Sadly I wasn't able to make notes of the designer of each and every outfit I photographed, but wherever possible I'll try to include that information.

A.F. Vandervorst

Chanel

The exhibit was spread all over the Cloisters, so the displays were not at all repetitive. Some pieces were displayed high up, some were recumbent, and some were behind glass, grouped together or alone.

Gareth Pugh

Olivier Theyskens

John Galliano, Dior

This chamber had especially striking pieces on display, the sleeping figure in black was one of my favorites. The figures in their all-black ensembles with the red wigs were a little severe but very beautiful, and in general the entire room was a fascinating space.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Many of the figures not only had beautiful clothing but also intricate jewelry, shoes, and headpieces. I really enjoyed the halo effect diadems, which were perfect for the celestial theme. As we walked around, it was hard to choose a favorite gown but everyone seemed to have one. A teal blue dress was a particular favorite of my aunt- deceptively simple at first glance when compared to the more ornate designs around it, but in truth the bias cut would be incredibly flattering and wearable to anyone lucky enough to own it. She has very good taste!

Some ensembles I didn't particularly care, like this one which if I remember correctly resembled a collection of pillows tied together with string. However, in everything I saw I could find at least one detail I liked, such as this beautiful brooch.

Chanel

Look at the detail of the lace! This Chanel gown was one of my favorite pieces, a very flattering length and silhouette, and the embroidery of the material was stunning in person. I don't know if I could pick just one favorite outfit, but this dress would make my top 10 I think.

Phillip Treacy

Dolce and Gabbana

This Dolce and Gabbana dress was very ornate and rather bell-shaped, but I really liked it a lot as well. Perhaps you can tell I'm partial to ornate lace? I do wonder how heavy it would be to wear something like this- all that metallic thread would surely start to add up and weigh a person down! Whatever the weight, it would be worth it to look so glorious!

I neglected to take note of the designer, but this delicious red velvet number was very striking. 

John Galliano

My mom's favorite dress was this Greek goddess-esque pink number, and I have to say I agree that it's beautiful! Difficult to wear in a flattering way perhaps, but so lovely and ephemeral on the mannequin. 

And that was pretty much it at the Cloisters, where we spent about 3 hours in total. There was so much to see, and despite my numerous photos there were many displays I didn't photograph because I was running low on space/battery life. Believe it or not I did wear heels the entire morning; I was trying my best to look "fashion-y"! We took a rest at one point for a little lunchtime coffee break so I did have some time to sit and rest a bit, but otherwise we were walking around the entire time. By the end of our visit my feet did get rather ache-y, but my surroundings and the exhibit were both so beautiful and uplifting that in truth I barely noticed my feet at all, and didn't realize just how sore I was until we left!

See you next blog post, where we go to the MET!