Michelle Obama, one of the most fashion-conscious first ladies in decades, joined a who’s who of designers as she cut the ribbon at the Metropolitan Museum’s new costume centre.
With Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Donatella Versace, Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Victoria Beckham, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren and other fashion luminaries in attendance, the first lady launched the museum’s new $40 million Anna Wintour Costume Centre, named for the editor of Vogue magazine.
“I’m here today because of Anna,” said Obama. “I’m so impressed by Anna’s contributions not just to fashion but to this great museum. This centre is for anyone who cares about fashion and how it impacts our culture and our history.”
Obama, known for her personal style, wore a forest-green silk organza dress with three-quarter sleeves for the occasion, designed by Naeem Khan.
She said the centre would teach young people “that fashion is not just a business but an art” and that it would “be a source of learning and inspiration” for all ages. Obama said she and Wintour are working to bring students to the White House for a fashion workshop.
Others at the event included Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Ralph Lauren, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Reed Krakoff, Prabal Gurung and the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte.
Obama was not expected to attend the Met’s annual Costume Institute gala, which typically attracts celebrities and Hollywood A-listers.
The museum opens a new exhibit to the public tomorrow featuring the work of Briton Charles James, who died in 1978. Although James’s name is not well-known to the general public, he is revered by fashion industry insiders and designers.
Through his complex, innovative work from the 1930s through the 1950s, he designed dresses of stunning glamour that often resembled sculptures more than mere garments. His clients included Gypsy Rose Lee, Marlene Dietrich and Mrs William Randolph Hearst Jr.
His clothes – revolutionary in their time – had a huge influence on modern fashion. Christian Dior called him “the greatest talent of my generation”.
I am here today because of Anna
The show, Charles James: Beyond Fashion, emphasises technology. In a large ground-floor gallery, animated videos illustrate how each gown was constructed, from the original piece of fabric to the intricate completed garment.
A 1938 black gown in silk faille, one of the first strapless gowns to be made in the 1930s, is called the ‘umbrella’ evening dress because the folds of its skirt, structured with silk-encased ‘ribs’, resemble a folded umbrella.
A 1932 knee-length black dress is called the ‘taxi dress’ because, James used to say, it was so easy to put on you could do it in a taxi – it was basically an early wrap dress.
But James was most proud of his striking 1953 ‘clover dress’ in white satin and black velvet, with a full, sculptured skirt formed with four distinct ‘lobes’ – like a clover.
James was born in England, but went to the US at the age 18. He centred his business in New York, catering to well-known socialites of the day.