The Lady of Shalott and friends

I saw her, I saw her! I really, really saw her!

Yesterday, Nancy-Raven, my Daughter and I went to the Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal for the last week-end of the John William Waterhouse - Garden of Enchantment exhibit. I know, it's just like me to wait until the last minute! After all, I have known about the exhibit for quite some time; I even mentioned it here, back in October! (See Museum Exhibition: John William Waterhouse - Garden of Enchantment, posted on October 13, 2009).

As I explained to my Sweetheart last week, going to the Tate Gallery in London to see The Lady of Shalott has been on my list of things to do once in my life for about a decade; it would be dumb to miss my chance to see her while she is town. Oh sure, it's one less excuse to go to London, UK, but really, I have many more so what is one.

The Lady of Shalott, John William Waterhouse, 1888, Oil on canvas, 153 cm × 200 cm, Tate Gallery, London.

Seeing her in front of me, being able to discern details I had never noticed before, noticing how bright the colours are in real life, all of this made me want to pick up my embroidery once more and finish the cross stitch armbands I had begun years ago. As it stands now, I only have one that is completed.

Cross stitched trim for The Lady of Shalott Armbands

Come on Gwenyver, you can do it!

There was another painting that impressed me and influenced my costuming mood: Jason and Medea.

Jason and Medea, John William Waterhouse, 1907, Oil on canvas, The Rob Dickins Collection

You see, I've been wanting to make a proper Cotehardie for quite some time now, but it was never all that high on my list of priorities. It just so happens that next Wednesday (March 17), my local SCA group will have a workshop on the subject and I was debating whether or not to go. Seeing that painting suddenly makes me want to go (this should please Lady Jeanne).

One thing is for sure, I'm really happy I went. Now I can say:

"I saw her, I saw her! I really, really saw her!"

The Kyoto Costume Institute

I don't know about you, but I love to travel. One place I dream of visiting is Kyoto, Japan, and not just for Gion (the most famous Geisha District of that city), but also for The Kyoto Costume Institute (KCI).

Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century, Taschen Books, 2007

My aunt M. got me the Fashion History Books by Taschen on one of their trips to France (and by the way, this is the book my Mom got me this Christmas that I returned, yet she was with my aunt when she bought the book). It is full of absolutely beautiful costume pictures, all from The Kyoto Costume Institute. So of course, I want to go there!

Robe et Habit à la Française, pages 68-69, Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century Vol. 1

Would it surprise you to learn that my favourite book is the first volume, which is about 18th and 19th Century fashion? I didn't think so.

Hairdos and Robes à l'Anglaise, pages 110-111, Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century Vol. 1

Even though it is is situated in Japan, KCI collects Western Clothing for studying purposes. The idea is that clothing is intertwined with everyday life, and so by studying one we may understand the other better. I couldn't agree more. Their collection ranges from the 17th century to the present time, which means that under one roof you an find perfectly preserved clothes and underpinnings that could have been worn by Versailles courtesans or made by Jeanne Lanvin.

Revolution in Fashion 1715-1815, The Kyoto Costume Institute

KCI only holds small-scale exhibitions at its own KCI Gallery, as the space of the gallery is 86m². The pieces shown are carefully selected from the collection.

The permanent collection of the KCI is not on public view, but they often organize exhibitions that travel to museums around the world. For instance, the Revolution in Fashion 1715-1815 exhibit was shown at the Palais du Louvres in Paris, France, in the early 90's (under the name Élégances et Modes en France au XVⅢème Siècle).

Luxury in fashion Reconsidered, The Kyoto Costume Institute

If like me you are not about to go there, you can still visit their Digital Archive where you will find good quality pictures of a few chosen pieces for each period. Thank goodness for Internet!

I should start a Costumer's travel agency, so I could organize tours around themes and museums. I wonder if it would catch on?

Victorian Christmas at Sir George-Étienne Cartier's

Guess what I did today? I went with my parents and Daughter to see the Victorian Christmas exhibit at Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada (that's in Old Montréal by the way). I had been wanting to go ever since I found out about it last year. We even got sit for "The Art of Entertaining" presentation, where butler Thomas Vincent told us how a Victorian Christmas dinner (and other period dinners) would happen, what would be served, what was considered polite, etc. It was interesting... But I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.

Dinning Room - Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada

First of all, I learned that I already knew most of what our guide told us, and on some subjects even more, because some of the things he said made no sense. For instance, he kept comparing food and services with previous periods as well as the present) and he kept saying that in Medieval times, people only ate soup with made from whatever they could find, which might have been somewhat true for the poor, but as he was comparing this to what a wealthy Victorian family would serve... It's like comparing apples and sushi.

And second (since this is not a Food blog), I saw barely any costumes! The butler was in full Victorian getup, complete with gloves, vest and tailcoat, and he did first come in with his apron and sleeve protectors, but, you know, I always want more.

Living Room - Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada

The exhibit was nice. I love history, so it was great to see antique Christmas decorations as well as the house's rooms furnished decorated as if it was really Christmas 1865 (oh what I would give to do a photo shoot of a Victorian costume in one of these rooms - it would be the perfect backdrop). It is only 3.90$ to visit the house and exhibit so if you're in the neighborhood and love history too, you should definitely go.

And now, for the few costumes I managed to take pictures of to bring to you. I have to quickly mention that I just had time to snap pictures before the "The Art of Entertaining" activity began, and once it was over, they let us visit the house quickly before closing for lunch, so dummy me, I didn't read the cards explaining what each costume was. I'll have to give you my best guess (which shouldn't be too off).

Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier

This represents Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier whose house we were in. For those of you who have never heard of him, he was Prime Minister of Canada East from 1858 to 1862 and is a Father of the Confederation. Here we see him in a double-breasted Frock Coat, a typical Victorian Men's Jacket.

Cassock and Shoulder Cape

The Catholic clergy had a predominant place in French Canadian (Québec) culture until the 1960's. Now I'm no expert on religious clothing but from what I could gather in my quick research on the subject, this is a cassock and a shoulder cape, complete with pectoral cross. Since the whole thing is purple, this is most likely a Bishop's costume.

If you know more on the subject would like to add anything, that would be great.

Soldier's Uniform and Victorian Day Dress

Once again, I'm not very knowledgeable about soldier's uniform, but I can tell you a little about the dress: it is a Victorian Day Dress, and I'm guessing, from the shape, that it is probably circa 1860. You know it's a day dress because the bodice has long sleeves and a high neck.

Gwenyver and Daughter in front of the Pretty Costumes

I do want to thank the staff at the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada for letting me take pictures, and a special thanks to the "Butler", Thomas Vincent, for his patience with my Baby who made cute noises during his entire two hour presentation (he even reacted to her sounds, patting her on the head for agreeing with him). Same goes for the other guests who never uttered a word or a sigh. Thank you very much.

And even though I'm a pain for being difficult about the information I was given, I did enjoy his presentation quite a lot. He was passionate about his subject and that always keeps me attentive.

Museum Exhibition: Golden Age of Couture - Paris and London, 1947-1957

My, oh my! More interesting costume and fashion exhibitions in nearby museums. This winter, the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec presents Golden Age of Couture - Paris and London, 1947-1957, from February 4 to April 25, 2010, organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England). This means splendid gowns, shoes and accessories from a number of designers including Dior, Balenciaga, Fath and Worth, to name only those, and all for our viewing pleasure. Now that is eye candy!

Evening dress (robe grand soir), Cristóbal Balenciaga. About 1955. Given by Miss Caroline Coombe, V&A

Me thinks I might have found the look for my future wedding gown!

Evening dress, Pierre Balmain. About 1950. Silk organza with ostrich feathers, sequins and rhinestones, lined with silk, silk tulle and a stiff nylon petticoat. Worn by the Hon. Mrs Pleydell-Bouverie and given by Miss Karslake, V&A Evening dress, Pierre Balmain. About 1950. Silk organza with ostrich feathers, sequins and rhinestones, lined with silk, silk tulle and a stiff nylon petticoat. Worn by the Hon. Mrs Pleydell-Bouverie and given by Miss Karslake, V&A

This is what one might call an exotic bird dress!

Shoe. Late 1950s. Satin embroidered with beads and silk and metal thread. Given by Roger Vivier, V&A

I. Love. Shoes! I have a similar pair in silver, though they are not from the 50's.

Evening dress and stole, Charles Frederick Worth, Late 1950s. V&A

Worth is always worth it! Oh I crack myself up.

I guess this means I'll need to day trip to Québec city sometime next winter!

Note: The pictures shown in this post are borrowed from the Golden Age of Couture - Paris and London, 1947-1957 for illustration purposes.

Museum Exhibition: John William Waterhouse - Garden of Enchantment

Remember when I talked about Medieval-Fantasy sources for inspiration, I mentioned Pre-Raphaelite paintings? I love that style in late 19th century art, it is so dreamy and it was part of the Victorian Medieval Revival (of course, they had no archaeological information on which they based their vision of the Middle-Ages, but it led to beautiful Fantasy images).

The Lady of Shalott, John William Waterhouse, 1888, Oil on canvas, 153 cm × 200 cm, Tate Gallery, London.

My number one favorite painting is without a doubt The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse. I bought a laminated poster version when I was a teen and it used to hang above my bed (when I lived with my parents - nowadays, it's in the living room). I used to stare at it for hours, studying every detail. I even began making the trim for the armbands in cross stitch a few years ago, with the intention of one day making the dress.

My Teenage Dream Bedroom (complete with hand painted stone arch and gargoyles)

Anyways, John William Waterhouse has got to be one of the most famous Pre-Raphaelite. Everyone knows his work. I've long dreamed of visiting the Tate Gallery in London to see The Lady of Shalott, but it turns out, she came to me instead!

It is not a dream, it is true! The Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal is having an exhibition about my favorite painter from October 2nd 2009 to February 7th 2010, called John William Waterhouse - Garden of Enchantment. I saw the add for it on Tele the other night and I gasped (scaring my Sweetheart in the process).

Circe Invidiosa: Circe Poisoning the Sea, John William Waterhouse, 1892, Oil on canvas, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.

(Hmm... Circé: now there's an idea for Nancy-Raven's Halloween Party.. Watery colours, fits with The Odyssey family costume theme and I think I already have something I can use, so no money to spend - sadly an important consideration these days... I like it! Oh, sorry. Mussing out loud. Back to topic!)

Tristan and Isolde, John William Waterhouse, 1916, Oil on canvas,109.22 × 81.28 cm, Private collection, New York.

I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go!!! Who's with me? If it's a whole group of us, we could even dress up? Wouldn't it be nice, freaking those nice museum people out? Let's set a date!

Costumes in Fashion: Tim Burton's Magical Fashion

From November 22, 2009 to April 26, 2010, The New York Museum of Modern Art will be presenting an retrospective exhibition dedicated to Tim Burton's career as a director, producer, writer, and concept artist for live-action and animated films.

In honour of this upcoming exhibition, Harper's Bazaar has published Tim Burton's Magical Fashion, a groovy-spooky fashion spread art directed by the man himself, Tim Burton. And all this in time for Halloween! (Ah, the magick of editing!)

This is not something I would normally show, because, as I have stated numerous times, I am not a fan of scary, gory movies or Halloween costumes and decors, but if designers such as Ferragamo, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Alexander McQueen (well I'm not really surprised by this one, after all, McQueen's fashion shows are more costumes than clothes), Rodarte and Yves Saint Laurent are ready to join the project, who am I to disagree?

Note: All pictures featured in this post were borrowed from Harper's Bazaar: Tim Burton's Magical Fashion and are by Tim Walker.

"It's showtime!"

Shutterbugs and Scissor Hands

Glamour-Puss in Boots

"Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

Burton Suits Up

You shouldn't have followed the rabbit, Alice!

Fashion Attacks!

Good Girl Gone Dead

You are such a Clown!

Skeletons in the Closet

Mummy! Mummy!

Corpse Bride

What is a girl to do?

Do you feel the Halloween spell creeping into your house? Have you found the inspiration you needed to get your costume ready? Better still, have you got your costume yet? (I still can't make up my mind!)

Camouflage - The Exhibition: From Battlefield to Catwalk

I consider myself to be against war (except for Pennsic War of course). Our parents taught us to talk problems out instead of using violence, so it is incredible to me that nations can't do the same. Due to that, I've never much appreciated the Camouflage print and refused to wear it whenever it was in fashion. Until I read a very interesting article about it in La Presse. (Thank you J. for sharing the link with me.)

Apparently, it was developed by a french artist during the First World War, and throughout the 20th century, it's meaning evolved, from War (first half of the 20th century) to Anti-War (Vietnam War) to Art (with Andy Warhol) and High Fashion (with Yves Saint Laurent in the 70's, Jean-Paul Gauthier and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac in the years 2000).

Now why would La Presse write about the history of the Camouflage print, you might wonder? Well my dear friends, because there is currently an exhibition on the subject at the Canadian War Museum called Camouflage - The Exhibition: From Battlefield to Catwalk. (Catwalks produce some very interesting costumes!)

Chiffon Gown and Gloves, Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring/Summer 2000 Couture Collection. Photo by Martin Chamberland, La Presse.

Shoe - Philip Treacy for Gina Couture 2003, Inspired by Andy Warhol Lithography. Photo by Martin Chamberland, La Presse.

(I can't resist shoes.)

Now I really want to go to the Canadian War Museum to see this exhibition. I mean, how often is an exhibition dedicated to a fabric print? And I bet you when I come back, I'll feel like making a crazy Camouflage dress myself. Could be interesting!

Camouflage - The Exhibition: From Battlefield to Catwalk will run until January 3, 2010 for those of you interested in going.