THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY

Hello there. It is already the first Monday in May, where does the time go?? I have always liked the month of May, when Spring finally begins to reveal itself, the April showers have subsided, and the weather is mild, getting one in the mood for summer. It’s a sort of transition month if you will. It’s also the month in which we honor mothers!  And not only is it my birthday month, it’s also the month when my two daughters-in-law were born, as well as being the birth month of several of my close friends. If I were inclined to believe in astrology, which I’m not, I might believe there could be something to the fact that many people I like a whole lot were born in the month of May. Do Tauruses attract? Did my sons marry women who are just like their dear old mom?

So, on another note…

tonight is the fashion industry’s annual Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala. Under the direction of Vogue’s editor in chief, Anna Wintour, the gala has become the undisputed party of the year on the New York social schedule and has raised more than $145 million for the Costume Institute. Always held on the first Monday in May, I wanted to tell you about a film by the same name, which is about the Met Gala.

Each Met Gala has a theme that coincides with an exhibit at the Costume Institute. The First Monday in May movie follows the creation of most attended fashion exhibition in history called “China: Through The Looking Glass,” an exploration of Chinese-inspired Western fashions by Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton.

With unprecedented access, filmmaker Andrew Rossi captures the collision of high fashion and celebrity at the Met Gala. Featuring a cast of renowned artists in many fields including fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano, as well as a host of contemporary pop icons like Rihanna, the movie dives into the debate about whether fashion should be viewed as art. It is now playing in limited engagement around the country.

I think I’d like to see it…

I spent 20 years of my life in the fashion world but never got an invitation to the Met Gala. Of course even if I had I couldn’t afford to go. Attendees, who are all pre-approved by Wintour, pay $25,000 for an individual ticket. The fashion world I was a part of, Children’s Apparel, wasn’t glamorous, although I still dreamed of being a well known fashion designer like those invited to the gala. But that just doesn’t happen in Childrenswear, even though I did win designer of the year for my Classic Winnie the Pooh creations. And I did spend 20 years going to New York 5 times a year, but in all that time I never made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art!! Can you imagine that? Too much business and no time for culture.

Well, I finally did make it there not too long ago and in honor of the film, The First Monday in May, I thought I’d share with you a little bit of my visit to The Met. Unfortunately I skimmed by the Chinese exhibition in favor of the Ancient Egyptian Section, preferring mummies, sarcophaguses and ancient ruins to Mao Tse-tung.

And then there was the American Wing with incredibly intricate silver pieces on display alongside clocks made to look like lighthouses, and a gilt American federal convex mirror with a perched eagle and angels on top. This is my kinda museum display.

I admired beautiful portraits of lovely ladies and strapping young men, painted by American artists.

From there we explored the light filled atrium courtyard where I admired the beautiful chandeliers, intricately carved staircase and sculpture of Diana, the Roman Goddess of the Hunt & Moon.

And because I’m a lover of French Impressionistic art, I was anxious to see some of the many Claude Monet paintings on display. I am fortunate to have visited Monet’s home in Giverny, France and saw the very lilly ponds he painted.

Then, who could miss the paintings by Vincent Van Gogh…

or Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian inspired paintings?

And not to be forgotten are works by Henri Matisse…

and Paul Cézanne.

I really loved the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I’m going to make it a point to visit again next time I’m in The Big Apple. Like most museums, it could take weeks to see everything, including the impressive floral arrangements that adorned the exit.

So there you have it: THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY

Do you have a favorite exhibit at The Met?

Express Yourself!

No blog post is truly complete without a word from you. I’d be so delighted if you’d leave a comment below. 

All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise credited, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.