Good afternoon, minna-sama~ and let's give it up for the near-end of the first week of the New Year~. Here's to the 51 more to come. It doesn't seem as long when you can count it down like that, desu ne.
Rather than bog down the previous post with adventures of travels, I thought it'd be better to break it up, especially since it is a more related post than simply ringing in the new year. The day before New Year's Eve, the mother person and I took a bus up to New York [and wasn't that a trek and a half? Details disparring, it took an hour alone to get through the Lincoln Tunnel], met up with my godmother, and had ourselves a looksee into the special exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology, titled Japanese Fashion Now. Just looking at the Hangry and Angry picture ballooned up on the wall and double doors made me excited.
I wasn't entirely sure what of all was going to be encompassed there, but the website made it all look intriguing enough. The mother person and I met up with my godmother and made ways downstairs to the first half of the exhibit [I say half because it was the first of only two rooms that made up the display]. The first half was mostly dominated with women's clothing, fashions that one might say was typed for the single woman in this new age of Japanese culture who isn't married but has her own place and holds down a good paying job, and shops ferverntly on weekends with her disposable income. The things she might wear out while doing said shopping [or buy while out shopping] were the sort of displays on first. There was also some menswear.
Ah, before I forget, I will mention that I have no pictures to show because picture taking was no allowed. If you're thinking about going up there though, let the avid artist within you come out, as they will allow you to sketch anything you'd like in pencil.
Like many advant-garde fashions from around the world really, I wasn't terribly impressed with the sort of things in the line-up. There was an attractive long jacket, and a sari-like garment that all three of us liked, but overall I was asking myself "Do people really wear this sort of thing? Is this what people call high-fashion now?" because truthfully, I would hope that some of these things never leave the runway. We moved into the larger second room, where the youth culture fashion mannequins were on display. From the more extravagent that we all know and love--Dolly Kei, Lolita, Mori girl, Visual Kei, and cosplay even--to the equally popular but tame by comparison--Oshare kei, onii-san kei, and semi-gyaru--the big names that even I can claim to recognize were put out on display. The Lolita section also had ball-jointed dolls on display, dressed in Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates chibi wear. There was a prominent display of menswear too, which intriguied me; not that I would think that all females in attendance wouldn't enjoy seeing mens fashion as well, but perhaps the male audience that it is targeted to would be lacking in attendance. I don't know. Perhaps when the exhibit opened there were more guys [oh, we practically had the place to ourselves when the three of us went].
Overall, though it was a smaller exhibit than what I was expecting, Japanese Fashion Now was a very enjoyable look into the contemporary fashions of our friends in the East, with more than just the look into the pop culture styles though I love those best. If nothing more than good memories, I am encouraged to continue with my workings into V-Kei, Aristo, and cosplay if for that the strong prevailance of Japanese fashion in Western culture has really begin to set itself apart. I don't think it will be too long before some of our own subculture is able to stand apart as it does in Japan, with branches like gyaru, Lolita, and V-kei. One can tantalize the possibilities at least.
It isn't worth a plane ride to get there, but parking can cost more than you'll spend eating food while in New York. The exhibit itself is FREE [one of my favorite words], but why do and make up for it with expensive transportation? Use a bus or train. We used a bus, but that hardly went down well, although I won't discredit it if you use a bus service other than Bolt.
Would you like to see a fashion exhibit closer to home? What sort of designers would you want to focus on? Would you want to add something to your display, such as a mini-fashion show once a week during hours?
Dressing the way you feel is so much fun, truly.
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak
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