Royal Wedding Update

I must admit, the initial coverage of the Royal Wedding had me feeling somewhat apathetic. I did not want to write about it. Here was the story as I saw it: a couple meets at college, they live together for a while, then decide to marry. Here were my three words to describe the arrangement: big friggin' deal. Nonetheless, I just reviewed the sartorial coverage of the wedding, and I must admit it has me titillated. The British love of hats never fails to amaze me, and Kate's dress was nothing short of a-MAZ-ing. Below are some of my favorite looks from the event with commentary. All pictures from Getty Images.

Although some objected to her wearing black, I find Victoria Beckham to be very chic, and I love her hat by Phillip Treacy.

Prince Andrew and Daughters.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson in another amazing ensemble.

And my opinion on Kate's dress? Absolutely perfect. It just represented everything a Royal Dress should be. It exuded class. It was refined and elegant. I loved the simplicity of the skirt, the weight of the train. Her veil framed her face beautifully. It was exquisitely made. It looked unusual and traditional all at once. To learn more about the dress's construction I highly recommend checking out this post from NYmag.

Although most fashion insiders agreed that her dress was 'da bomb', apparently not everyone agrees. For example, here's what Daniel Orszewski, a 31 year old head of styling for Top Shop, had to say during his conversation with "The Times" Christine Haughney:

(He)...leaned back in his booth at G-A-Y Bar, sipped champagne and expressed his concerns about Ms. Middleton's fashion choice saying that the dress was too plain. "I thought Pippa looked better," he said while dressed in a tight black Union Jack t-shirt.

Hmm...black Union Jack t-shirt? Royal lession number one Kate: you can't please everybody.

Video On My Mind

Admittedly late to the trend but can't get enough of Rihanna's "Rude Boy".

Two Must See Exhibits: Sonia Delauney and Sheila Hicks

There are two current exhibits, both artists who work at that intersection of art, fashion, and textiles that I am interested in. I hope to draw inspiration from both of them for my own current projects that I am developing.

Sheila Hicks pictured at the installation of her exhibit in Philly. Photo from NyTimes.

The first is Sheila Hicks, showing in Philly at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Here the artist is exhibiting 50 years of her work. Her work seamlessly merges the disciplines of art, design, and crafts. She works with objects as unconventional as toothpicks, razor-clam shells, rubber bands and hair. According the New York Times it was a picture of Peruvian mummy bundles that ignited Ms. Hicks’s interest in textiles. Later, she studied under Josef Albers (of Bauhaus fame). When took her home to meet his wife, Anni, the renown Bauhaus weaver, her focus on what became her lives work was cemented. I find her work to unbelievably mysterious and beautiful.

Sheila Hicks from an excerpt I found on the web in Wallpaper magazine.

Another artist who dappled in textiles has an exhibit that I am pining to see is Sonia Delauney at Cooper Hewitt. She is another artist who crossed boundaries. From goauche paintings, to textiles, to clothing created by her own atelier she was a veritable 1920's fashion sensation. Her exhibit is oddly prescient considering all the art deco motifs on current runways. I think the series of pictures below show beautifully how she could create a gouache painting, then turn that into a textile, which would later be created into a garment.

Photo from Cooper Hewitt site.

Coat made for Gloria Swanson by Sonia Deluaney, photo from Cooper Hewitt site.

Model wearing swimsuit made by Sonia Delauney, also from the Cooper Hewitt website, see link above.