Throwback Thursday: “China: Through the Looking Glass”

I haven’t been to my favorite museum (the Metropolitan Museum of Art) in a long time, so I thought I’d do a throwback post on my favorite art exhibit to date: “China: Through the Looking Glass.”

Last spring and summer, the Met exhibited this combined fashion and art exhibit which examined the “impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries” (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

The exhibit was divided into smaller galleries presenting different themes of Chinese culture. These rooms were filled with haute couture, avant-garde, and even ready-to-wear fashion paired along with pieces of Chinese artworks and culture.

This exhibit was truly breath-taking. Through music, film, lighting, and technology, I felt as if I was transported into a different space and era each time I walked into a different room. Many times I caught myself thinking, “It’s hard to believe I’m still at the Met right now!”

My favorite room was the Porcelain Room, where high-fashion dresses incorporated blue and white porcelain patterns as well as actual Chinese porcelain. Of course my favorite piece was the stunning ball gown created by Chinese designer Guo Pei (6th photo featured below).