Quite Specific Media

Corsets: Off Stage

Pat MacKay — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:14:42 +0000

Just in case you had not noticed: corsets have moved beyond the stage and out into the street (and clubbing) fashion. We here at QSM would track their most recent renaissance as a fashion item to that famous Gaultier bustier for Madonna back in the 90s. Check out this June 2012 post from the BBC.

Corsets have never been out of style for Costume & Fashion Press. If you’re planning anything period or just want some inspiration check out our titles Corsets by Jill Salen and Bonnie Holt Ambrose’s little classic Corset Construction Book.

Impossible Conversations:Schiaparelli and Prada through August 19.

Pat MacKay — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:58:37 +0000

So you all have heard about the Big Costume Institute summer show at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, here’s a rundown of what’s in the seven galleries. The show runs through August 19, 2012.

“Waist Up/Waist Down” will look at Schiaparelli’s use of decorative detailing as a response to restaurant dressing in the heyday of 1930s café society, while showing Prada’s below-the-waist focus as a symbolic expression of modernity and femininity. An accessories subsection of this gallery called “Neck Up/Knees Down” will showcase Schiaparelli’s hats and Prada’s footwear.

“Ugly Chic” will reveal how both women subvert ideals of beauty and glamour by playing with good and bad taste through color, prints, and textiles.

“Hard Chic” will explore the influence of uniforms and menswear to promote a minimal aesthetic that is intended to both deny and enhance femininity.

“Naïf Chic” will focus on Schiaparelli and Prada’s adoption of a girlish sensibility ... Read More »

Happy Birthday, Will!

Pat MacKay — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:30:14 +0000

It’s April 23rd again…and we tip our hat to that guy. By our calculation he’s 448 or maybe 447…

Schiap experiments with Holophane

Pat MacKay — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:48:06 +0000

From the Schiaparelli and Prada show at the Met here’s a 1934 experiment with Rhodophane to create a “glass” cape. This transparent plastic as you might guess is related to cellophane. And should be filed under “Before there were see through plastic raincoats” .

Coming up at the Met: Schiaparelli and Prada

Pat MacKay — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:04:00 +0000

Of course it’s an impossible conversation for these two fashion icons to actually be having, but taking their cue from Miguel Covarrubias’s “Impossible Interviews” that ran in Vanity Fair during the 1930s, Costume Institute curators Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton are putting their work on display side by side. The show is organized into 7 sections parallelling where Elsa led and how Miuccia followed. Maybe “was influenced” might be a better phrase. Close ties indeed.

“Crazy” costume capture Olivier for McKintosh

Pat MacKay — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:36:29 +0000

The 2012 Olivier awards have come and gone. As usual it’s a great gathering together in honor of all things theatrical that have happened in London over the past season. And (unlike The Tony’s which are very Broadway centric) the Oliviers take in a wide spectrum. This year a special nod went to the English National Opera…and the outdoor theatre in Regent’s Park stepped up for its third Olivier. This year for Peter McKintosh’s riotous pastels for “Crazy for You”

According to the official Olivier site:

McKintosh described the production as “the highlight of my career. Working in Regent’s Park is the most extraordinary, special experience.”

The experienced designer, whose credits also include current productions Noises Off and The 39 Steps, and recent shows Death And The Maiden, Luise Miller and Butley, was previously nominated in 2010 for his work on ... Read More »

Bruno Poet making the NT “Frankenstein” glow…and taking home the Olivier

Pat MacKay — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:56:45 +0000

Bruno Poet has walked away from the 2012 Oliviers with the Best Lighting award. And if you had the great good fortune to see either the production in London or at a high-def cinema near you as part of the National Theatre Live series, you’ll know exactly why. It was a spectacular achievement in the midst of a spectacular production. Every single moment, right down to the sky cloud of golden glowing tungsten sources was perfection.

For lots of the technical details, check out ET Now’s article . Favorite quote in the article proves once again that you just can’t beat tungsten:

Conceived by Boyle, set designer Mark Tildesley and lighting designer Bruno Poet it was intended to “represent the forces of electricity harnessed by Frankenstein, and to provide a dazzling light for the moment the creature is born and opens his eyes for ... Read More »

Colorful celebrations for Mary Blair and her designs

qsmADMIN — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:09:56 +0000

The Academy of Motion Pictures pulled together a great symposium in honor of Mary Blair’s centenary. The only female in the gang of Disney’s “9 Old Men” Blair’s unmistakably bold and colorful designs continue to inspire and influence artists in all areas of animation today.

Although Mary Blair (1911-1978) is perhaps best known for the design of Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” attraction and park murals, her concept artwork for “Cinderella,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter Pan” in the 1950s, as well as for earlier short subjects, reflects her unique sensibility and lasting influence on animation.

The roundtable disussion included a number of Disney designers talking about Blair’s influence

Michael Giaimo, a character designer for “The Brave Little Toaster” and “FernGully: The Last Rainforest,” as well as the art director for “Pocahontas” and a visual development artist for “Home on the Range.”

Eric Goldberg, ... Read More »

Sonia Delaunay’s Fabric Designs on display at the Cooper-Hewitt

Pat MacKay — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:42:19 +0000

3.19.2011

Some people think of her as a painter. Others know she’s the wife of artist Robert Delaunay. But in reality she is a multi-talented 20th century artist icon. And for designers it’s her work in fabric design that is full of inspiration. Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay is on view at the Cooper-Hewitt in New York through June 5.

Roberta Smith writing in the New York Time has pull together an incisive and illumination account of Delalunay’s life, art, and impact on fashion saying,

“In 1917, while the Delaunays were sitting out World War I in Portugal, the Russian Revolution wiped out Sonia’s allowance, and she put down her paintbrushes and turned to work as a designer in order to support her family. In essence, she began to funnel her abstract vocabulary into an array of endeavors that ranged widely ... Read More »

Fashion On A High: Robert Capucci on display in Philly

Pat MacKay — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:10:16 +0000

3.17.2011

We can’t get enough of this fabulous man’s design work. It’s clothing…costume….art. Inspiration for Costume & Fashion designers all.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will be displaying his work March 16 through June 5, 2011. If you can’t make the detour…then check out the breathtaking slide shows and peek at their video of the curators at work setting up the show. And of course there’s a lavish catalogue of the exhibit and Capucci’s work for sale.