Art & Fashion: Fabulous "Glamour: New York Style" Exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York has Vintage Halston, Vionnet, Worth, Lagerfeld for Chloe, Chanel, Mainbocher, Norell & Bling, Bling, Bling - PODCAST & VIDEOBLOG

Podcast about the "Glamour: New York Style" at the Museum of the City of New York until July 4, 2005 - MP3 File

"Glamour: New York Style" Exhibit has the best in Glamourous NYC Dresses & Accessories from Charles Frederick Worth to Halston to Norell - Part 1 (VIDEO)

Fashiontribes interviews curator of "Glamour: New York Style" about the Three Components of Glamour & Checks out an Amazing Madeleine Vionnet dress - Part 2 (VIDEO)

See the Velvet & Mink Halston that What Candace Bergen wore to Truman Capote's "Black & White Ball" in 1966 in the "Glamour: New York Style" Exhibit - Part 3 (VIDEO)

Check out Some Original Bling with "Norell's Tissue of Diamonds" Dress Worn by Lauren Bacall in the "Glamour: New York Style" Exhibit - Part 4 (VIDEO)

A fun way to get yer'self some culture'ing - with a heavy dose of glamour thrown in - is at a cool new exhibit at The Museum of the City of New York  Glamour: New York Style.

From gowns by 19th Century American Couturier Charles Frederick Worth, to Norman Norell's Tissue of Diamonds gown, sported by no less than Lauren Bacall, to the sexy strapless black velvet and mink-trimmed Halston, worn with matching white mink mask & Playboy-bunny inspired ears by then-starlet Candace Bergen to Truman Capote's 1966 Black & White Ball -- these are some seriously glam-bam-thankyou-maam frocks.

The frontispiece is an absolutely stunning one-shoulder ivory bias-draped silk number designed by Madeleine Vionnet (who was simply beyond). That was one chick who knew how to make a gown that turned the wearer into a goddess. Also incredibly worthy was the leather creation made for Alicia Keys by Jordan Bettan of Lost Art, a genius with custom leather for the rockstar set.

From outrageous headpieces worn to the Black & White Ball, and designed by likes of Bill Cunningham (as in the photog who shoots all those cool streetfashion shots for the New York Times "Style" section each Sunday) and Tiffany's Jean Muir, to bling-y costume jewelry from Coco Chanel, this exhibit is a serious look at glamour.

Charming brainiac Phyllis Magidson, the Curator of Costumes & Textiles for the museum gave Fashiontribes the personal tour, and believe me, we could have stayed all day -- she is incredibly knowledgeable and fascinating. She explained that they based the exhibit on three components of glamour:

1. Glamour is where you go.
2. Glamour is who you are.
3. Glamour is what you buy.

How interesting is that, the idea that glamour involves the brands you associate yourself with, and buy -- ie. glamour by appropriation, and association, is still glamour nonetheless. Although our society is obsessed with glamour, devoting countless hours of programming and splashy page after page to the subject, the scope of this exhibit made me realize that our current obsession dates back much further. 

In discussing an exquisite Vionnet worn by Mrs. Harrison Williams, uber-socialite of her time with residences everywhere fabulous and an unrivaled closet of couture, Magidson revealed that Williams was a permanent fixture on Eleanor Lambert's "Best Dressed List" which was started in the 30s. For such a list to even exist, I think you need these three factors:

1. People willing to spend on being glamorous with the financial resources to invest.
2. A group of viewers - after all, what's the point if no one's watching.
3. A medium for spreading the word about glamour.

Once these factors converged, the roots for our glamour and image-obsessed culture were sewn.

Glamour: New York Style at The Museum of the City of New York, 5th Avenue between 103rd & 104th St., until July 4, 2005 (http://www.mcny.org/).

Photos & Video by Jaxon Hsu for Fashiontribes.