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by The Backseat Stylers | May 7th, 2013 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute held its annual gala last night. The dress code? Punk. And with New York and Hollywood’s boldest names attending, we knew their sartorial choices were going to be a feast for our fashion-obsessed eyes.
From a fabulously punk Sarah Jessica Parker in a printed Giles Deacon design and custom Philip Treacy mohawk headdress to a fabulous but not so punk Jennifer Lawrence in an embellished black Dior gown, the red carpet was quite the scene. Lauren Santo Domingo brought the drama in a Dolce & Gabbana dress with exaggerated sleeves, Emma Watson looked all grown up in a sexy black Prabal Gurung number, and Taylor Tomasi Hill stunned in a printed floral frock with spikes by Thom Browne.
It’s a tie for top honours, though, between a fierce Anja Rubik, who showed up in red leather Anthony Vaccarello, and Rooney Mara, who was a vision in white lace Givenchy (déjà vu?). Who were your favourites on this year’s Met Gala red carpet?
     
Images via Just Jared, Styleite, Vogue
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 8th, 2012 
Last night, The Met’s Costume Institute Gala saw movie stars, musicians, designers and models walk the most fashionable red carpet of the year. Though I missed the first ever livestreaming of the arrivals, I’ve gotten all caught up on who wore what via the countless photos on the internet, and have landed on my best dressed of the evening.
The top spot easily goes to Cate Blanchett in a feather embellished black Alexander McQueen gown – a showstopping combination. Following closely behind is gala co-chair Carey Mulligan in a sequinned Prada number and the most incredible ‘do. A risk-taking Diane Kruger, also in Prada, is a controversial pick with her voluminous purple gown and its feathered hem, but I loved it.
Rounding out my best dressed list are the stunning Rooney Mara and knockout Gisele Bündchen, both in Givenchy Haute Couture. Black is anything but boring when Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci is involved (let’s pretend we never saw this).
Did you watch the red carpet arrivals live? Which were your favourite looks?
   
xx, S
Images via Just Jared
by The Backseat Stylers | April 26th, 2012 
This year’s Costume Institute Gala, aka the Oscars of the fashion industry, is just around the corner on May 7 – and you’re invited! Sort of. WWD reports that, for the very first time, the Met Ball will be livestreaming the red carpet arrivals, as well as select portions of the gala itself.
Hosts William Norwich and Elettra Wiedemann (thankfully not Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic!) will be interviewing the evening’s co-chairs, Anna Wintour, Miuccia Prada and Carey Mulligan and asking attendees questions submitted through Twitter via the #metquestions hashtag. The broadcast will be on Vogue.com, Metmuseum.org, and Amazon.com from 6:30 to 8:30pm EST.
My invitation for this year’s Met Ball seems to have gotten lost in the mail and Anna (yes, we’re on a first name basis) has yet to return my phone calls about getting my name on the guest list, but I can breathe just a little easier now knowing that at the very least I can watch the livestream. A small consolation.
xx, S
Image via
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 | August 12th, 2011 
Earlier this week, I tweeted this from New York City:
“ANNA effing WINTOUR. That’s who we chatted with briefly yesterday at The Met. No word of a lie. Epic!!”
Well, here’s the photographic evidence. I was completely starstruck during our brief encounter, but managed to respond coherently when Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, asked me how I was (just dandy!), whether I’d enjoyed the Savage Beauty exhibition (OMG, yes), and whether I work in fashion (no, I…blog).
Andrew Bolton, the curator of the exhibit was on hand as well, and both were signing copies of Savage Beauty, the Alexander McQueen exhibition catalogue. In fact, that’s T’s copy he’s signing in the photo below.
By the time T and I had gotten through the exhibit and had our books signed, we’d been at The Met for over 7 hours, mostly in line-ups and lacking any food or drink. But it was all worth it!
 
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | May 3rd, 2011 
Just like that, the Superbowl of fashion, otherwise known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, has come and gone for another year. And, like every other fashion blog in existence, we at The Backseat Stylers are obliged to choose our candidates for best dressed among the many who graced the Met Ball’s red carpet last night. At the very top of our list, rather unexpectedly, is Ginnifer Goodwin in an emerald green custom Topshop dress (pictured above). If anyone had predicted a week ago that Goodwin would be the one to stand out in the crowd, in Topshop no less, I’d have called you crazy. Gisele (in the background wearing red Alexander McQueen) is even jealous.
Liv Tyler in Givenchy Haute Couture Spring 2011 is an easy pick for me; I can’t get enough of that breathtaking collection. Riccardo Tisci can do no wrong these days, and his incredible creation more than makes up for Tyler’s rather bland hair and makeup.
Diane Kruger can be hit-or-miss on the red carpet, but when she gets it right, the results are stunning. This Jason Wu Fall 2011 gown has just the right amount of sparkle and a whole lot of leg going on. Miss Kruger wins the prize for the sexiest look of the night hands down. Joshua Jackson is one lucky man!
Daphne Guinness in a Alexander McQueen feathered concoction from Sarah Burton’s Spring 2011 collection for the design house is in a league of her own. The spectacle of her getting dressed for the Ball in the Barney’s display window and the drama of her look from head to toe were just so McQueen. I’m dying to see her exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology this Fall.
Freida Pinto in Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2010 is a controversial pick, but I adore the look. Though Blake Lively, Anna Wintour and Kristen Dunst all rocked Chanel Haute Couture last night, Pinto’s glamourous tuxedo-inspired gown was by far my favourite.
Which red carpet looks from Met Ball 2011 made your best dressed list?
xx, S
Image Credits: Zimbio
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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