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Since our trip to New York was Orlando’s first time in the city, I left virtually the entire itinerary up to him. We visited the spots he most wanted to see during our short stay, like the Statue of Liberty and Wall Street. I just made one little request: to see the Costume Institute Manus x Machina Exhibit at the Met. I had been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I was younger, but this would be my first chance to see Anna Wintour‘s legacy, her pet project that has propelled high fashion from an occasional red carpet scene to a fervent conversation and philanthropic cause. This year’s topic was fashion in the age of technology, meaning the contrast between handmade (manus) items, and the new age machines (machina) are creating with their laser-cutting and 3D-printing. How do the two worlds combine? How do they spur each other on? And the exhibit, as expected, was breathtaking.

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The Chanel dress that has become the symbol of the show itself kicks everything off in a grand rotunda with a kaleidoscope of the train’s embellishments rotating overhead. It instantly sets the tone for the show as a whole: elevated, enthralling, and engaging. We floated from Dior gowns to Proenza Schouler dresses to stunning examples of Alexander McQueen embroidery. These names may or may not mean anything to you, but it was a literal dream come true for me. Each piece was a contemporary expression of what it means to create haute couture in today’s world, and each one was mind-blowing in its technique and sheer beauty. I could go on and on about just that exhibit alone, but of course we had an entire museum left to explore!

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My personal favorite piece outside of the Costume Institute’s exhibit was this Georgia O’Keeffe painting. My mother had a giant coffee table book of her greatest works when I was growing up and I have always loved her point of view. Her style is simple yet provoking, feminine yet fierce. I know those are words that could be used to describe the artist as well, which just makes me love her even more. We made our way through the Roman statues, modern art, and abstract works, with my sister Hadley accompanying Orlando and I. My mom preferred to take Cora and Issa with her to play in Central Park, which made our visit much more peaceful and her afternoon (I imagine) much more adventurous. 🙂

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There’s just something about museums that make you feel introspective, am I right? My parents frequently took us to art galleries and history exhibits when we were younger, so I’ve always loved the quiet, cerebral space these houses of knowledge provide. Why not expand your mind for an afternoon instead of sitting in front of a TV? Can you imagine living in NYC and having all these resources at your fingertips 24/7? How glorious that must be! Orlando seemed to enjoy his first experience at the Met as well, although it was a little concerning when his favorite sculpture turned out to be about cannibalism. 😉

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My outfit for the day was city chic and comfortable, a concept that I presume every New Yorker must be able to master. My heels actually lasted me the entire day without much complaint on my end, although I did have the benefit of a couple long Uber rides to give my feet a break. My jeans I’ve featured on the blog before here and here, but I’m still just as madly in love with them. And my sweater is actually Orlando’s via Zara, but the chilly temperatures and rain being predicted made me feel the borrow was a necessary one. My necklace is a new layering piece from Banana Republic, and I’ve been wearing it with everything. And voila, an outfit that transitioned from museum marveling in the morning, to Statue of Liberty gazing in the afternoon, to Italian feasting in the evening. Just talking about it makes me want to go back ASAP! 🙂

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XO,

A

P.S. For a far better review of the Manus x Machina exhibit with more detailed information on the looks included, read the New York Times critique here.

P.P.S. If you find this topic interesting and you’re in the San Antonio area, you should DEFINITELY make plans to attend our FGI event on June 21st discussing some of the same subjects! Purchase your tickets here.