All posts filed under: Reviews: resources, books, museums

Friday Review: Underwear in Detail

Madame Ornata bought herself V&A’s new ‘in detail’ book Underwear: Fashion in Detail, and was kind enough to lend it to me to drool over use for research and review purposes. So here is the review! The Good: Images of lots & lots of gorgeous, unique, and interesting undergarments, all supported by excellent research. The book is particularly good at featuring unique one-off garments, or at least garments that are less discussed. The Bad: ‘Underwear in Detail’ has the same problem that all the ‘In Detail’ books have: it can’t decide what it is. Is it a costume history book? Than why some of the artsier detail pics? Is it a history book? Then why divide the information into such peculiar chunks around the book. Is it an art book? Then why all the background info and sketches? Despite their problems, the previous ‘In Detail’ books managed to walk a very narrow and occasionally visibly wobbly tightrope between coffee table pretty and serious history book, one that appealed to both the pedestrian fashion lover and …

Friday Review: Beloved at the DPAG

Published by The Dreamstress

Beloved: Works from the Dunedin Public Art Gallery 12 Dec 2009-30 Oct 2011 What it is: An exhibition on favourite works from the DPAG’s collections, ranging from Medieval madonnas, through NZ classics such as Goldie, right up to contemporary mixed-media sculpture. As a bit of background, you should know that DPAG has an amazing art collection which includes a fantastic selection (probably the best in a NZ museum) of European art, including such costuming favourites as Gainsborough, Tissot, and a selection of Pre-Raphaelite artists. The DPAG is also a beautiful museum: easy to navigate, elegantly designed, well situated, and eminently suitable for displaying art. Not surprisingly, I was extremely excited about having the opportunity to visit and to see the Beloved exhibition. The Good: All my favourite artworks were on display: the Tissot, the Gainsborough, the Reynolds, the Monet, the Forbes (if the direct links don’t work, search by artist last name), as well as some less well known charmers, and some more challenging modern art (do check out the Don Driver). The Bad: The …

The Museo de la Moda Costume Book

Published by The Dreamstress

I am so, so excited about what I get to show you this week. It’s something I have coveted for a long, long time, and didn’t think I would ever be able to get. It is the catalogue from the Museo de la Moda‘s first exhibition: You might not have heard of the Museo de la Moda, or the catalogue. And that wouldn’t be surprising, because it is a new museum, with very little web presence, located in Santiago, Chile – not usually the centre of costume fabulosity. But it has a fabulous collection, and a fabulous catalogue. Neither of which is available in any form except for in Santiago. Gah! I’ve been so obsessed with the catalogue that the minute the fabulous Claire of Well, I used to be a Lady mentioned that she was going to South America, I asked if she was going to Santiago. And she replied that she had a stopover of a few hours. And I very cheekily asked if she would take a taxi out to the Museo …