Lynn Yaeger at Ann Klein show, 2007. Photo from Coutorture.

It is sad to report on the dwindling rank of fashion journalists. Now that Lynn Yaeger is no longer at the Village Voice, one is hard-pressed to think of anybody who could fill her eccentric shoes. Reminiscent of Anna Piaggi—the veteran Vogue Italia reporter—Yaeger pioneered an unmistakable look, which Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton of the Costume Institute recently described as “Porcelain-Doll-via-the-Weimar-Republic,” and which made her a staple of downtown New York.

Her irreverent and unique style reflects her equally irreverent and original fashion reporting, which eschews the usual devotion to all things luxury and celebrates the original and affordable—particularly in her now-defunct column “Elements of Style.” What is most refreshing about her style, as well as her writings, is that she is never shy in exposing the aspirational and unattainable nature of much fashion and fashion reporting, which she counters with an ironic and subversive take on luxury goods and status dressing.

Hopefully, an exhibition of her unmistakable style and take on fashion will soon be organized alongside the lines of the Anna Piaggi exhibition, Fashion-ology, curated by Judith Clark at the Victoria and Albert in 2006.

For Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton on Yaeger’s style, see T Moment’s blog.

Francesca

Alexander Calder, Jealous Husband Necklace, 1940

At the entrance of Alexander Calder’s jewelry exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is “the Jealous Husband” Necklace. A seemingly witty reference to chastity belts, the piece sports spikes across the neck opening to stave away potential suitors. This necklace encapsulates the spirit of Calder’s jewelry, which appears witty and whimsical yet, at times, reads as constricting. Suggestions of boundedness and containment seem to transpire in some of the pieces—particularly a number of chocker-style necklaces. These are overlaid with Surrealist influences, as well as references to medieval and non-Western jewelry traditions.

Alexander Calder, Silver Bracelet, 1948

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Golden Age

Upon a recent visit to Chicago, I was surprised to find some really interesting new publications, in particular the art journal Proximity. Beautifully laid out and edited by Rachel and Ed Marszewski, it focuses on contemporary art and culture in Chicago and beyond in the aim of fostering “sustainable creative communities.” Among its engaging articles is a review of a new fashion magazine called Stitch Magazine and produced by students at Northwestern University. Stitch seems to provide an irreverent and novel approach to what constitutes a college fashion magazine.

Also, of notice is the year-old store and gallery Golden Age, which is entirely devoted to small press and art publications. This new addition, together with Quimby’s—a stalwart of indie publications—makes Chicago one of the most interesting cities to produce as well as consume small press.

David Fenton, Chicano Moratorium, Los Angeles, February 28, 1970 (currently on view at Steven Kasher Gallery)

Here is some information on fashion conferences, one of which is currently accepting papers for consideration. Focusing on fashion in the American West up to modern times, “Costume in the American West” encompasses topics as diverse as counterculture fashion, costume and fashion in film and televison, as well as more historical topics on the developing of dress practices which came to be associated with the “Wilde West.” Below is the call for paper:

“Costume in the American West: Historic to Modern Times;” September 25-26,2009; Sacramento, California

“The Western Region Symposium offers an opportunity for members of the Costume Society of America to present research on a variety of topics related to the theme “Costume in the American West: Historic to Modern Times.” Some possible topics for papers are: modern and historical fashion designers; dressmakers and milliners; art-to-wear; entertainment from Buffalo Bill and Wild West Shows to opera, dance, theater, film and television; counter cultures; costume in Western American literature; Native American and First Nations cultures; the design process; sports and leisure; manufacturing/manufacturers, gay culture, show girls and beyond!”

Taking place more immenetly, on Saturday November 29th at the ModeMuseum in Antwerp, is MoMu’s annual symposium, which this year is on the topic of Male Elegance. Among the speakers is Cristopher Breward, research director of the V&A which will discuss “Dirk Bogarde: From Doctor to Decadent,” and fashion and film historian Stella Bruzzi, who will be speaking on “the Dangerous Charms of Alain Delon.”

Here is a full programme

Models Claire Coulter and Avis Newcomb wearing dresses by Lanvin and Chanel at 1200 Fifth Avenue, 1931.

Don’t miss the recently published book Edward Steichen In High Fashion: The Condé Nast Years, 1923-1937, which discusses and re-publishes Steichen’s fashion photography and celebrity portraits. The images—all from the Condé Nast archives—were originally published in Vanity Fair and Vogue, and illustrate Steichen’s contribution to the burgeoning field of fashion photography and celebrity portraiture. That these two fields did not sit in high regard within the fine arts and photography realms with which Steichen had been previously associated, made his choice controversial and, to some extent, unusual. However, as Tobia Bezzola—one of the book’s authors—explains, his previous work as a painter and a fine art photographer clearly informed his “commercial” work—particularly in his rendition of clothing, as well as his choice of poses for his subjects.

The lavishly illustrated book, published by W.W. Norton, developed as a result of research that curators William A. Ewing and Todd Brandow completed in the Condé Nast Archives for the exhibition “Edward Steichen: Lives in Photography.” Steichen in High Fashion undoubtedly benefits from their extensive knowledge of the photographer’s work, which allowed them to fully contextualize this aspect of Steichen’s output within the rest of his career.

Spanning a period of 15 years, it is interesting to notice how the early prints from the 1920s–featuring theater actors alongside fashion models and silent film actors–are more painterly in their softer lights and greater gradation of grays in comparison to his later works, which feature a more stark contrast of black and whites and geometric shapes. (One of the book’s authors, Carol Squiers, describes this as Steichen’s “evolution from pictorialism to modernism.”)

Gary Cooper, 1930

Among the most iconic portraits included are those of actress Gloria Swanson and Pola Negri, and, later, Greta Garbo and Anna May Wong alongside those of dancers as Martha Graham, as well as Winston Churchill and Walt Disney.

An accompanying exhibition on Steichen’s photographic work is currently on view at the Kunstmuseum, Wolfsburg through January 1st, 2009, and will be traveling to the International Center for Photography in New York on January 16, 2009. (For a full exhibition schedule, please visit the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.)

Francesca

Don’t miss Housing Works’ yearly benefit and sample sale. A venerable nonprofit organization—known for their pioneering work on behalf of the HIV-positive—is hosting their annual benefit at the Rubin Museum on Thursday November 13th. (The entry fee starts at $100—a relatively affordable benefit ticket!).

The organization is also known for its keen fashion sense as shown by the intriguing window display in their thrift stores across the city and their incredibly knowledgeable volunteer force, many of whom sport impressive fashion industry and editorial credentials. So make sure not to miss the sample sale on Friday November 14th at their Chelsea store location, which will feature designs by Philip Lim, Paul Smith, Yves Sain Laurent, Marc Jacobs and many others.

Sarah Palin’s Red Shoes

Sarah Palin’s much publicized fashion choices and, now, fashion budget make for an interesting argument about how the post-feminist look can be appropriated in ways which are antithetical to what the look was originally meant to portray. If we understand post-feminist fashion as a reappropriation of symbols of femininity—high-heels, form-fitting skirts and colors which have traditionally being coded as feminine—by a “sexually liberated woman,” we can see how the vice presidential hopeful has been sporting some tenants of that look against the grain, as she is campaigning on a platform critical of sexual liberation altogether.

Post-feminism is best exemplified (as media theorist Angela McRobbie has pointed out) by media representation of women, such as Sex and the City and the Bridget Jones’ Diaries. Ultimately, the fact that the Republican nominee is embracing at least some central elements of the look not only goes to show the popularity of such representations, it also stands as evidence that the longstanding criticism of post-feminism as reactionary might, in this case, be accurate.

Francesca

Riccardo Tisci for Givenchi, 2006

Don’t miss the lecture series at FIT running concomitantly to the Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition currently on view at the Museum at FIT. Of particular interest is the panel on October 30th, for which a number of participants from various disciplines will discuss the splintering of gothic subcultures into various niche styles.

The list of panelists includes Fred Berger, photographer and creator of Propaganda magazine; Julia Bloodgood Borden, cultural anthropologist; Angel Butts, lecturer and PhD candidate; Myke Hideous, artist and musician; and Evan Michelson, owner of Obscura Antiques and Oddities. It will be moderatered by the exhibition curator Valerie Steele.

For more information on pre-registration visit FIT site.

A retrospective of Martin Margiela’s work just opened at The ModeMuseum (MoMu) in Antwerp on occasion of the 20-year anniversary of the Maison. Curated by MoMu creative director Kaat Debo in collaboration with Bob Verhelst and the Maison itself, the exhibition captures Margiela’s exacting aesthetic in its design and installation.

As is often the case with MoMu exhibitions, the strength lies in the fact that they go beyond the display of objects and incorporate installation, photography, video and film to fully convey a designer’s aesthetic. This multi-media approach makes the exhibition particularly current and engaging as fashion-as-image occupies an ever-increasing centrality in the world of fashion. (This fact was recently highlighted by Suzy Menkes’s article in The International Herald Tribune, about the proliferation of fashion films.)

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United Bamboo held their Spring/Summer 2009 show on Saturday. Designers Miho Aoki and Thuy Tham continued their artistic exploration by juxtaposing unexpected elements throughout their latest collection. Their loose fitting, feminine dresses were paired with geometric accessories (provided by designer Eugenie Huang). The beiges and pastels that appeared in the majority of the looks were interspersed with jolts of pink, orange, and green. The structured jackets and shorts, with a clear menswear influence, provided a pleasant contrast to loose dresses. Though fusing these many elements, the collection worked seamlessly, tied together with intricate details like pleats and buttons.

-Grace Edinger