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by The Backseat Stylers | December 18th, 2012 
Christian Louboutin celebrated the anniversary of his 20th year in the designer footwear business with his first ever retrospective exhibition at London’s Design Museum earlier this year. I was rather disappointed that I wasn’t able to hop over to the other side of the pond to experience the exhibit first hand; that is, until the Design Exchange (DX) made the unexpected and utterly delightful announcement last month that the museum would be bringing that very exhibition to Toronto. The exhibit, which drew record crowds during its run in London, will be at the DX from June 21 to September 15, 2013.
Donna Loveday, the exhibition’s curator, explains the concept behind it:
The exhibition celebrates Louboutin’s career to date and showcases twenty years of designs and inspiration, revealing the artistry and theatricality of his shoe design – from stilettos to lace-up boots, studded sneakers and bejewelled pumps. Louboutin’s shoes are the epitome of style, glamour, femininity, elegance and craftsmanship.
A strong narrative informs the exhibition and addresses the following key questions,
who is Christian Louboutin?
What was his route to shoe design?
What are the inspirations and influences that have informed his work over 20 years?
What is his design process?
The exhibition will present a carefully chosen selection of shoes from collections spanning twenty years. Alongside the shoes will be more personal mementos from Christian’s archive including photographs of his early years growing up in Paris, early sketches and shoe designs. The exhibition has had unique access to Christian Louboutin’s personal archive. A dramatic exhibition environment will present Louboutin’s artistic personality and creative approach. It will examine the many sources of his creativity, shoes inspired by performance and the showgirl; entertainment; transparency; travel and architecture.
The exhibition will also focus on the handcrafted shoe, one-off designs which incorporate highly innovative ideas, forms and materials. There will be a special section dedicated to the shoes designed for Fetish, an exhibition at the Gallerie Du Passage, Paris, in 2007, which was a unique collaboration of photography between Louboutin and acclaimed film maker David Lynch. At the core of the exhibition will be a unique exploration of Louboutin’s design process, taking the visitor through every stage of the design journey, revealing how a shoe is constructed, from the initial drawing and first prototype through to production in the factory.
Now I can finally stop lamenting having missed Louboutin’s visit to the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto back in 2005. Instead, I’ll be counting down the days until the retrospective exhibition opens at the DX next summer. In the meantime, check out the trailer by London’s Design Museum and over 40 images from the exhibition’s run there below. And you may as well start debating which pair of red-soled beauties to don for the occasion, too.
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by The Backseat Stylers | September 13th, 2012 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has announced its spring exhibition, “Punk: Chaos to Couture,” which will feature haute couture and ready-to-wear designs inspired by punk. The show, which will be co-chaired by actress Rooney Mara, Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci, Moda Operandi’s co-founder Lauren Santo Domingo and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, will run from May 9 to August 11, 2013.
Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the Alexander McQueen exhibit last year, said, “Punk broke all rules when it came to fashion… Its impact on high fashion became so enormous, and continues at the same time.” Santo Domingo added, “History is one of the greatest sources of inspiration in fashion, and we are especially excited for this exhibit because of punk’s long-lasting impact upon fashion today.”
The exhibition will feature about 100 men’s and women’s creations, including designs by Haider Ackermann, Miguel Adrover, Azzedine Alaïa, Boudicca, Ann Demeulemeester, Dolce & Gabbana, Andrew Groves, Marc Jacobs, Rei Kawakubo, Alexander McQueen, Rodarte, Alexander Wang, and more. Items on display will be organized under the themes of “Rebel Heroes,” “The Couturiers Situationists”, “Pavilions of Anarchy and Elegance,” “Punk Couture,” “DIY Style” and “La Mode Destroy.”
After disappointing attendance for this year’s Schiaparelli and Prada exhibit, this is all sounding like the makings of an epic exhibition that will definitely require a trip to New York on our part. Based on what you’re hearing so far, will you be joining us?
xx, S
Images via WWD
by The Backseat Stylers | May 1st, 2012 
Christian Louboutin celebrated his brand’s 20th anniversary today with the launch of his first ever retrospective exhibition at London’s Design Museum. Though the shoe designer and I haven’t seen eye to eye on his footwear designs over the last few years, there’s no denying that he’s changed the face of shoe design over the last 20 years of his career and created countless to-die-for pairs of red-soled heels during that time (many of which are sitting pretty in my closet). The exhibition runs May 1 to July 9, and I’m dying to see it.
The Design Museum presents iconic French shoe designer Christian Louboutin, celebrating a career which has pushed the boundaries of high fashion shoe design. This exhibition celebrates Louboutin’s career showcasing twenty years of designs and inspiration, revealing the artistry and theatricality of his shoe design from stilettos to lace-up boots, studded sneakers and bejewelled pumps. Be taken on a magical journey of style, glamour, power, femininity and elegance.
At the core of the exhibition is a unique exploration of Louboutin’s design process, taking the visitor through every stage of the design journey, revealing how a shoe is constructed, from the initial drawing and first prototype through to production in the factory.
I’ve always regretted missing Louboutin’s visit to the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto back in 2005, and now here’s my chance to finally make up for it. It’s just a quick jaunt over the pond, right? Find out more about the exhibition at designmuseum.org.
  
xx, S
Images via kfoxtv, Telegraph, Toronto Star
by The Backseat Stylers | April 4th, 2012 
After the success of last year’s Alexander McQueen ‘Savage Beauty’ exhibition, the pressure is on The Metropolitan Museum of Art to follow up with another hit. Their answer? ‘Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations’, an exhibit that showcases the work of Miuccia Prada and the late Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.
According to The Met’s website, the exhibition will feature approximately ninety designs and thirty accessories by Schiaparelli (1890–1973) from the late 1920s to the early 1950s and by Prada from the late 1980s to the present. The pieces will be organized around seven themes, each housed in a separate gallery: Waist Up/Waist Down, Ugly Chic, Hard Chic, Naif Chic, The Classical Body, The Exotic Body, and The Surreal Body.
Check out the images below for a sneak peek at the exhibit, and pre-order the catalogue, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, here. The exhibition runs from May 10 to August 19 - will you be paying a visit? We’ve yet to decide, but one thing’s for certain: we won’t be waiting until the very last day this time, like we did for ‘Savage Beauty’. We learned that lesson the hard way.
   
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by The Backseat Stylers | November 3rd, 2011 
Toronto was graced by royalty last night, as Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène of Monaco attended the opening event for the Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess exhibition at TIFF Bell Lightbox. A North American exclusive, the exhibition features rarely-displayed wardrobe items and artifacts both from Kelly’s days as a popular Hollywood actress and her life as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco.
Princess Charlène wore a chic LBD by Dior, paired with a red box clutch and simple black pumps. Dior appears to be a favourite of the royal, as she also wore a design by the fashion house earlier in the week at the 29th annual Princess Grace Awards in New York City.
Highlights from the exhibition include the Oscar Grace Kelly won for her role in the film The Country Girl and the Edith Head-designed gown she wore to accept the award; an exact replica of her exquisite, Helen Rose-designed wedding gown; and the famous Hermès “Kelly bag” the pregnant princess carried to hide her baby bump. The exhibition opens to the public on November 4 and runs until January 22, 2012.
See photos from Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess below.
     
xx, S
Image Credits: Event photos by WireImage/Getty for TIFF; Exhibition photos by George Pimentel, Wire Image for TIFF
by The Backseat Stylers | September 16th, 2011 
T and I only recently made the trek to New York for the Savage Beauty exhibition (where we met Anna Wintour!), and now we’re already planning our next trip. This time, it’s for The Museum at FIT’s exhibition Daphne Guinness, which opens today and features approximately 100 items from the personal collection of the woman dubbed by Tom Ford as “one of – if not the – most stylish women living.”
Heiress of the renowned brewing family, Daphne Guinness is a serious couture collector and fashion icon to many. The exhibit will include a carefully curated collection of garments and accessories loaned by Guinness, as well as films, videos, and images, of and by her. The accompanying book, Daphne Guinness, is currently available for pre-order (cover pictured above).
The exhibition will be on view until January 7, 2012, so there’s plenty of time for us to plan our visit. Will you be taking advantage of this rare opportunity to peek into Guinness’ closet too? Check out a preview of the exhibit below.
    
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by The Backseat Stylers | June 15th, 2011
From June 17 to October 2, 2011, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) will be hosting the first international exhibition devoted to renowned French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, titled The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. The exhibition will feature 140 ensembles on animated mannequins created by UBU/Compagnie de création. The MMFA held VIP previews earlier this week in advance of the official opening this Friday.
I’ll definitely be making the short jaunt from Toronto to Montreal to see the JPG exhibition this summer. Who’s coming with?
  
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by The Backseat Stylers | February 23rd, 2011 
British First Lady Samantha Cameron and US Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour unveiled Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty yesterday, the exhibition to be held at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute in New York this Spring. The exhibition, which will run from May 4 to July 31, 2011, will feature some of the late Lee McQueen’s greatest creations, including pieces from all of his collections from 1994 to 2010. The exhibition will launch on May 2nd with the annual Met Ball, which will be hosted this year by McQueen’s friend and fellow designer Stella McCartney and his right-hand woman for 14 years and successor Sarah Burton.
Highlights of the exhibition were photographed by Sølve Sundsbø using live models, but then digitally altered to look like mannequins so that focus would not be taken away from the pieces themselves. The photos posted below are high resolution, so please click to enlarge and see the exquisite detailing on each piece.
In addition to these and other designs, the exhibition will also feature the infamous McQueen tartan, the Kate Moss hologram from his Fall 2006 show, and other McQueen “curiosities”. (via Vogue UK)
The younger Backseat Styler T and I will most definitely be making a trip to The Met this Spring for this exhibition. Such a rare and beautiful opportunity to see some of McQueen’s most impressive designs in person and in one place is worth the short flight from Toronto to New York. For those of you who won’t be able to see the exhibition in person, the Costume Institute is producing a book that is currently available for pre-order.
UPDATE: See photos from the second preview here.
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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