Alysa Liu cheer/fan thread

[Icetalavista]

I think the “dissected” dress is quite pretty. Very skating. And I love that a woman with a frenulum piercing is walking the Met gala “catwalk”

 

[HaNguyen]

I’m really disappointed that Alyssa want to this Bezos-sponsered do. I had thought she would be a better person, but apparently not.

 

[BittyBug]

I’m really disappointed that Alyssa want to this Bezos-sponsered do. I had thought she would be a better person, but apparently not.

Bezos was the sponsor the gala this year but the event has nothing to do with him; it’s a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute that has been held annually for almost 80 years, long before Bezos had money to throw around. If you want to make an impact on Bezos, boycott Amazon (and Whole Foods, if you’re in the U.S.), not a charity fundraiser.

That said, the Met Gala in and of itself is one of the most indulgent, wasteful spectacles I can think of. First of all, who needs a museum dedicated to costumes, something of very little cultural value, IMO. Second of all, the gala these days seems to exist merely for preening on the red carpet in ridiculous single-wear outfits that symbolize the overconsumption of natural resources and wealth inequality that is inherent in high fashion. So, I’m not a fan of the gala, but it has nothing to do with Bezos.

As for Alysa, unlike you, I don’t think her attendance is in any way a reflection of whether she’s a good person. She’s a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton and she was invited to the event by them to represent that brand. Unless I missed something, she wasn’t photographed with either Bezos or his plastic molded wife, so it’s not like she was promoting him.

 

[ballettmaus]

First of all, who needs a museum dedicated to costumes, something of very little cultural value, IMO.

What makes costumes have less value than paintings, for example?

Could we have theater performances, musicals, movies, ballet, opera, figure skating without costumes? Sure. At the same time, I think costumes help make the performance and create the illusion, and not just for the audience. It feels different to step on stage or perform in a costume than in every day clothes; a costume is part of the character, part of the performance. It's part of the art.

Costumes also evolved through the years. I recently saw a short British video clip on YouTube where they had a look at some of Margot Fonteyn's costumes and I thought it was interesting to learn about why they used what fabric and color and what the effect was.
Before that, there was the ballet dancer who shortened her skirt to above ankle length and caused quite a stir with it because women's dresses were supposed to cover their ankles (even if her name now escapes me and I'm too lazy to look it up).
And before that, men were dancing female roles which would have been reflected in costumes as well since they're built differently.

My granddad's partner was a costume designer for the Friedrichstadtpalast which was the theater in East Berlin. And yet, they didn't have big budgets or access to the same fabrics and accessories the west had access, too. So, they had to improvise and find alternative ways to create the costumes the Friedrichstadtpalast was and is known for.

That's just a small area of costumes.

I think there's a lost of history in costumes and based on the above, if I had to make a comparison and determination about cultural value, I'd say costumes have more cultural value than paintings. Considering how many museums dedicated to paintings there are, why not have a museum for costumes? (For the record, I think paintings have their place in culture, too. All art forms have, in my opinion; they all contribute in their own unique way).

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Thank you, @ballettmaus! You said it better than I could!

Are there other art forms we would like to declare shouldn’t have a museum because they are of little cultural value?

 

[Cachoo]

What makes costumes have less value than paintings, for example?

Could we have theater performances, musicals, movies, ballet, opera, figure skating without costumes? Sure. At the same time, I think costumes help make the performance and create the illusion, and not just for the audience. It feels different to step on stage or perform in a costume than in every day clothes; a costume is part of the character, part of the performance. It's part of the art.

Costumes also evolved through the years. I recently saw a short British video clip on YouTube where they had a look at some of Margot Fonteyn's costumes and I thought it was interesting to learn about why they used what fabric and color and what the effect was.
Before that, there was the ballet dancer who shortened her skirt to above ankle length and caused quite a stir with it because women's dresses were supposed to cover their ankles (even if her name now escapes me and I'm too lazy to look it up).
And before that, men were dancing female roles which would have been reflected in costumes as well since they're built differently.

My granddad's partner was a costume designer for the Friedrichstadtpalast which was the theater in East Berlin. And yet, they didn't have big budgets or access to the same fabrics and accessories the west had access, too. So, they had to improvise and find alternative ways to create the costumes the Friedrichstadtpalast was and is known for.

That's just a small area of costumes.

I think there's a lost of history in costumes and based on the above, if I had to make a comparison and determination about cultural value, I'd say costumes have more cultural value than paintings. Considering how many museums dedicated to paintings there are, why not have a museum for costumes? (For the record, I think paintings have their place in culture, too. All art forms have, in my opinion; they all contribute in their own unique way).

I enjoyed your post and was thinking about this year's gala. I'm not opposed to having a blast and going over the top but I was struck by the simple beauty of Ayo Edibiri's gown with it's gorgeous flow. I wondered if the designer saw a particular statue.

 

[LilJen]

What makes costumes have less value than paintings, for example?

Could we have theater performances, musicals, movies, ballet, opera, figure skating without costumes? Sure. At the same time, I think costumes help make the performance and create the illusion, and not just for the audience. It feels different to step on stage or perform in a costume than in every day clothes; a costume is part of the character, part of the performance. It's part of the art.

Costumes also evolved through the years. I recently saw a short British video clip on YouTube where they had a look at some of Margot Fonteyn's costumes and I thought it was interesting to learn about why they used what fabric and color and what the effect was.
Before that, there was the ballet dancer who shortened her skirt to above ankle length and caused quite a stir with it because women's dresses were supposed to cover their ankles (even if her name now escapes me and I'm too lazy to look it up).
And before that, men were dancing female roles which would have been reflected in costumes as well since they're built differently.

My granddad's partner was a costume designer for the Friedrichstadtpalast which was the theater in East Berlin. And yet, they didn't have big budgets or access to the same fabrics and accessories the west had access, too. So, they had to improvise and find alternative ways to create the costumes the Friedrichstadtpalast was and is known for.

That's just a small area of costumes.

I think there's a lost of history in costumes and based on the above, if I had to make a comparison and determination about cultural value, I'd say costumes have more cultural value than paintings. Considering how many museums dedicated to paintings there are, why not have a museum for costumes? (For the record, I think paintings have their place in culture, too. All art forms have, in my opinion; they all contribute in their own unique way).

The Costume Institute is NOT “costumes.” It is all forms of garb with historical significance. I don’t know why they call it “costume.”