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Two Manhattan museums on the same block are currently presenting lavish exhibitions of historical American jewelry. The American Folk Art Museum is host to "Masterpieces of American Jewelry," a selection of about 200 pieces, most of them commercially produced, dating from the late 18th century to the late 20th. And the Museum of Arts and Design is featuring a show dedicated to the New York jewelry designer and producer Seaman Schepps.
The show at the Folk Art Museum was produced for it by a nonprofit organization, the National Jewelry Institute, which was founded two years ago to promote the study and exhibition of fine jewelry. The pieces were selected from private and corporate collections by the exhibition's curator, Ralph Esmerian, who is vice chairman of the National Jewelry Institute and a fourth-generation dealer in precious stones. He is also chairman and a former president of the American Folk Art Museum.
For pure visual gratification, Mr. Esmerian's exhibition is especially rewarding. If you are hoping for stimulating ideas about jewelry and its history you will be disappointed, but it is easy to forgive the low intellectual wattage because so many of the pieces, displayed in fancy, fiber-optically lighted cases, stand out on their own as wonderful objects.
Among the more memorable items are a gold bracelet with dangling letters spelling "G R Chicks" &
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The modern-day fashion plate's insistence on individuality is both a blessing and a curse for designers.
On the one hand, design houses create wholly experimental ready-to-wear lines that include "it" skirt lengths and white clothes all year round. (Hooray for self-expression and the end of style exile for the nonconformist!)
But this "I'm-doing-me" attitude makes it nearly impossible for today's designers to find their signature item, like the Polo shirt, the Chanel suit, the Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress. These pieces seeped into consecutive seasons and drove the well-dressed to buy the real deal repeatedly, because absolutely no other would do.
Those designers became legends.
By the end of this week's festive prelude to Spring 2005 in Bryant Park, however, it was clear designers were grasping to make their own magic. Anna Sui tried a Wild, Wild West theme that pushed petticoats as outerwear, Donna Karan played around with sweatshirt jersey materials in dressy outfits, and Vivienne Tam probably wants credit for bringing navy blue back to the fashion scene.
As refreshingly creative as these top designers were for Spring 2005 compared with the last three seasons, their pieces lacked the never-seen-before spark of 1970s von Furstenberg. Instead of brand new, the designers simply rebirthed old "it" items.
Her
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There is a lack of awareness among young batik designers in Malaysia of international fashion colours, a textile expert here said.
“If we want to market batik to the world, we need to know what are the fashion forecast colours for the next season or next year in other countries,” said Eddie Yap, at the end of the first round of judging for the Piala Seri Endon 2004 batik design competition here, yesterday.
Fifty entries were selected for the second round of the competition co-managed by the Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (Penyayang) and its subsidiary Batik Guild Sdn Bhd.
Yap, who is the chief judge, said inspiring designers must strive to perfect their skills and be outstanding in their creations.
The nationwide competition drew 96 entries in the Fashion category – almost twice the number of last year’s competition, and 13 entries for its new Soft Furnishing category.
Pieces of batik draped on mannequins formed a vibrant display of colour and creativity when the first round of judging kicked off yesterday.
“The overwhelming response is an indication that people acknowledge the Piala Seri Endon as a competition that will spark off their careers in batik designing,” said Batik Guild director Leela Mohd Ali, who is also the chief executive officer of Penyayang.
Patron of the foundation, Datin Paduka
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In a bid to provee his point of views, Ralph Lauren has created a collection for spring/summer 2005 that hardly erred from his seasonal point of view: Thirties Hollywood glamour.
"WHAT I really want to do is a design school," Ralph Lauren said backstage after his show.
"To teach the sensibility of what goes into design, the building of a business into a company with a point of view. People start out designing and they don't have a voice that is theirs."
A flury of satin dresses, bias cut and featuring petal sleeves over jewelled empire necklines, was sometimes a little over-polished for the vintage-passionate London contingent, but in general this was a look that was tailored to New York's chauffeured set for whom diamonds are simply a wardrobe staple.
Old-time silver screen moments travelled up the catwalk in liquid silk of pale blue, pink silver and cream, while more modern looks comprised fluid cream blazers, smartly tailored slacks, linen shorts and pale overcoats that just perched on the shoulders.
Ruffled chiffon, powder puffed feather shrugs and simple V-neck sleeveless dresses with narrow shiny leather belts made for a show that was as feminine as it was complete and when Ralph himself took his bow in a pair of Thirties spats, it was clear that he is enjoying the moment more than ever.
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15 - 31 January 2005
Time Out is a two week intensive professional development program.
The purpose of this exciting study tour is to facilitate a dynamic, guided program of professional development. It is intended for those working in the arts and education industries as creative practitioners, visual artists, designers, art teachers, drama teachers, art administrators wishing to immerse themselves in a range of activities designed to provide a context for a self initiated research project.
The program achieves this in a dynamic and stimulating series of workshops, demonstrations and tutorials in creative techniques, gallery tours, theatre/opera productions, fashion parades, trade events, and cultural tours.
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