Slideshow: Stylish Museumgoers at the Met’s ‘Schiaparelli and Prada’ Exhibit
We’ve been blathering on all week about the Met’s new exhibit, “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations,” and, yesterday, it finally opened to the public. We anticipated a stylish crowd for the show’s first day, so we sent a photographer over to capture the fashion students, stylists, designers, and other well-turned-out folks that chose to spend their sunny Thursday at the museum. Highlights include self-described “stylin’ mom” Elizabeth Pierpont in a slim, black dress, as well as the exhibit’s curator himself, Andrew Bolton, fittingly dressed in a Prada sweater. Enjoy!
Joanna Przetakiewicz, creative director of La Mania What do you do?
I’m a designer. Karl Lagerfeld is the godfather of my company. He’s my frien...
Joanna Przetakiewicz, creative director of La Mania What do you do?
I’m a designer. Karl Lagerfeld is the godfather of my company. He’s my friend and my angel.
What were you looking forward to seeing?
I’m in New York for just 48 hours. I came just for this exhibit and did the same for the McQueen exhibit too.
Do you own any Prada?
The most important piece I have is a bolero embroidered inside and out — it also has fur. It’s my most favorite piece. It’s art.
Michael Werzer, optician and accessory designer, and Scott Levine, sales Prada or Schiaparelli?
MW: Prada right now, because they’ve gone in a n...
Michael Werzer, optician and accessory designer, and Scott Levine, sales Prada or Schiaparelli?
MW: Prada right now, because they’ve gone in a new direction — Schiaparelli is something from the past.
SL: I like where they’ve (Prada) been and where they’re going, but their clothes can be a little off trend — especially for our age group.
MW: Did you just say “for our age group?!?”
SL: Can you see us in those mermaid pajamas? I mean, really.
Do you own any Prada?
MW and SL, together: Oh too many, five or six bags, accessories, shoes, bags, belts, all accessories.
Do you have a favorite piece?
MW: The woman’s orange tote I just bought — I haven’t even used it yet!
Kristen Lee Ranes, student at UT Austin Do you own any Prada?
I have a really cute pair of black suede peep-toe heels. My boyfriend was like, “W...
Kristen Lee Ranes, student at UT Austin Do you own any Prada?
I have a really cute pair of black suede peep-toe heels. My boyfriend was like, “Why don’t you wear them to the exhibit?”
Well, why didn't you?
I didn’t want to ruin them! And they’re not that comfortable. Especially for New York.
Georgia Cruz, fashion stylist What were you looking forward to seeing in the exhibit?
I don’t know Prada very well and don’t know anything about...
Georgia Cruz, fashion stylist What were you looking forward to seeing in the exhibit?
I don’t know Prada very well and don’t know anything about Schiaparelli. I never understood Prada’s aesthetic, but after this exhibit, I feel like I understand it better.
Do you think fashion is art?
Yes. I’m an art history major. Fashion is living. It’s 3-D. It’s everywhere in the same way art is.
Sam Chindalatta, restaurant owner Are you a Prada or Schiaparelli fan?
Prada. She’s always doing something new and using the past.
Do you own a...
Sam Chindalatta, restaurant owner Are you a Prada or Schiaparelli fan?
Prada. She’s always doing something new and using the past.
Do you own any Prada pieces?
Yes.
How many?
So many … Maybe 50? Or more. I love her bags. And her line in 2009, when everything was fur and fur and fur and fur. I bought everything.
Elizabeth Pierpont, "stylin' mom" What were you most excited to see in this exhibit? &n...
Elizabeth Pierpont, "stylin' mom" What were you most excited to see in this exhibit?
Well, my daughter [nearby] is interested in fashion — she’s actually working on a paper about flappers right now. [A friend and I] took our daughters to the last exhibit about fashion through the ages, and they must have been, what, eleven? Because they’re thirteen now … and they loved it.
If you could have a conversation with Prada or Schiaparelli, what would you ask them about?
[Laughs.] I’d talk to them about designing something for me!
Nat Vachraphol, recent graduate of Sarah Lawrence Who would your impossible conversation be with, Prada or Schiaparelli?
Prada.
What would you ...
Nat Vachraphol, recent graduate of Sarah Lawrence Who would your impossible conversation be with, Prada or Schiaparelli?
Prada.
What would you ask her?
I’d like to just sit and chat.
Tamara Musser, special education teacher for seventh and eighth grade, from Seattle Did you come here just for the exhibit?
Yes. I’ve been here ...
Tamara Musser, special education teacher for seventh and eighth grade, from Seattle Did you come here just for the exhibit?
Yes. I’ve been here for 48 hours — I came here for this exhibit and to have lunch with Sarah Burton. I love fashion, and I’m interested in seeing the Prada. Less so the Schiaparelli.
Do you own any Prada?
I probably own one from almost every collection from the last ten years. I probably have the most from the fairy-tale collection — there’s a really amazing nude blouse that has a fairy across the front — I have the matching pants.
Do you wear them together?
Yes. They’re amazing. And many shoes — these are probably my favorite pair because they are the most comfortable for the city.
Qianyao Lin, student at Parsons What were you most interested to see here today?
I’m currently interning at Prada so I was interested to see th...
Qianyao Lin, student at Parsons What were you most interested to see here today?
I’m currently interning at Prada so I was interested to see the conversation between the designers. I’ve known about this exhibit since last year and started doing research on Schiaparelli then.
What do you think each designer does well?
I think Prada is more current and she makes women powerful and feminine at the same time. Schiaparelli’s passion and ideas are so creative and inspirational.
If you could have a conversation with anyone who would it be and what would you ask them about?
Dior. I’m curious about how he created what he did during his time period.
Lauren Blane, stylist Prada or Schiaparelli?
Prada is my favorite designer, and I studied Schiaparelli quite a bit in school. I saw Prada’s lips...
Lauren Blane, stylist Prada or Schiaparelli?
Prada is my favorite designer, and I studied Schiaparelli quite a bit in school. I saw Prada’s lipstick print when I was a teenager — it was the first time I was actually physically pained at not being able to buy something. It was all over after that.
Do you own any Prada?
I got married in Prada! I was torn between two Prada pieces: a black, sexy dress or a short, fun white dress — my friends all convinced me to go with the white one.
Are you happy you did?
Yes. I don’t regret it at all. My husband always asks me, “Are you going to ever wear that dress again?” No! Of course not!
Maybe if you went with the black sexy dress.
Exactly.
Moira Lynch, assistant stylist Are you a Prada or Schiaparelli fan?
I used to be a Prada but now I’m a Schiaparelli fan — did you see those clea...
Moira Lynch, assistant stylist Are you a Prada or Schiaparelli fan?
I used to be a Prada but now I’m a Schiaparelli fan — did you see those clear buttons?! And the butterfly dress and lamb chop hat?
What did you think of the exhibit?
I was struck that there was no Miu Miu, and why were those white wedges dirty? Did you notice that?
Do you own any Prada?
I do. Leopard-print, pony hair ballet flats.
Erica Heinz and Jodi Leo, both web designers What was your favorite part of the exhibit?
JL: There was this circus fabric in there that I had be...
Erica Heinz and Jodi Leo, both web designers What was your favorite part of the exhibit?
JL: There was this circus fabric in there that I had been wanting to see my whole life. I love the entire circus collection. My grandmother had a piece by Schiaparelli. It was this brooch shaped like a bug. I remember discovering it and being so in awe.
Do you own any Schiaparelli?
JL: Yes. Necklaces, scarves, hat boxes, she also had a home goods line, and I have some of that, too.
If you could have a conversation with either Prada or Schiaparelli who would it be, and what would you ask them about?
EH: I’d ask them both what clothes they found themselves returning to — the clothes that they feel at home in.
J. Wesley Krulic, faculty member at University of Georgia, and his wife Julia Krulic What were you most looking forward to see in the exhibit?
W...
J. Wesley Krulic, faculty member at University of Georgia, and his wife Julia Krulic What were you most looking forward to see in the exhibit?
WK: I love Schiaparelli — the dress with the rabbits!
If you could own any piece from the exhibit what would it be?
JK: I loved the skirts from both designers. Oh, and that black is so me. Those long, chic, black dresses with the embroidered bolero jackets.
If you could have a conversation with Schiaparelli, what would you ask her about?
WK: You’d wonder about parties and people she knew — royalty, artists, all kind of interesting people. She came from an era when glamour and royalty was so …
JK: You could ask her how often she went to Palm Beach!
WK: I bet she went a lot.
Miguel Figueroa, writer for
Candy magazine It seems you’re skeptical about this exhibit. Why?
Right now Prada is in a really great creativ...
Miguel Figueroa, writer for
Candy magazine It seems you’re skeptical about this exhibit. Why?
Right now Prada is in a really great creative moment — each collection is better than the last, and to do this in the middle of all this momentum — well, I’m don’t know how it will affect her career. Maybe I shouldn’t say that? I wrote about Prada – I heard she’s supposed to be a hoarder. There’s a myth that she has a house in Milan full of all of her clothes from when she as a teenager.
Do you own any Prada?
My first luxury item is a pair of the Prada boat shoes from the nineties. I still have them. They’re in mint condition. And I loved that lipstick skirt! I was so angry when Tavi got it! I have five or six pairs of shoes, too — my favorites are the grass green penny loafers.
If you could talk to Prada, what would you talk to her about?
I would talk to her about obsessions and obsessing. I think, as a creative person, you have to be obsessed.
Andrew Bolton, curator Do you own any Prada?
I do. This is a Prada sweater. I’m a sweater kind of guy. I’m wearing Thom Brown shoes, pants, shir...
Andrew Bolton, curator Do you own any Prada?
I do. This is a Prada sweater. I’m a sweater kind of guy. I’m wearing Thom Brown shoes, pants, shirt, and tie but the sweater is Prada. I probably have over twenty Prada sweaters, and they’re all navy or blue.
If you could have a conversation with a person who's no longer alive, who would it be, and what would you ask them about?
It would probably be with Sigmund Freud or Jesus. I would ask Freud about his clients and how the idea of the couch came about. I’d ask Jesus about the times he lived in and the last supper — that moment that he knew what was going on — that he’d be betrayed and how he sat through that dinner.
Cathy Paul, employee at the Jack Varthanian Boutique What were you most excited to see at the exhibit today?
I’m a big Prada fan. I thought Schi...
Cathy Paul, employee at the Jack Varthanian Boutique What were you most excited to see at the exhibit today?
I’m a big Prada fan. I thought Schiaparelli looked more like YSL, but maybe I shouldn’t say that.
Do you own any Prada?
I own many, many — I can’t even ballpark it. I saw so many of my shoes in the exhibit! I’ve always said that someday I wanted to own something that was in the Met! A lot of my Prada things are animal-nspired. My most favorite piece I own is a warped brown skirt and blouse — it reminds me of a tabby cat!
Margarita Koroleva What were you looking forward to seeing in the exhibit?
Prada is my favorite designer — she mixes ugly things and beautiful t...
Margarita Koroleva What were you looking forward to seeing in the exhibit?
Prada is my favorite designer — she mixes ugly things and beautiful things. It’s not beauty as we normally thing about it — she makes the ugly beautiful. Schiaparelli did the same thing. It’s amazing.
Do you own any Prada?
Five pairs of Prada shoes — black one, coral one, sandals with metallic details. All Prada shoes are very comfortable — much for comfortable than Louboutin or Manolo. And two bags. I love the Prada car shoes.
Is fashion art?
Yes! It’s unpredictable and you can put it in a museum and it makes sense!
If you could have a conversation with either Prada or Schiaparelli, who would it be, and what would you ask them about?
Of course Schiaparelli! It’s something very not now. I would ask her what she thinks of Prada.
Michelle Castellano, fashion student at the Art Institute of Chicago Did you come to New York just for the exhibit?
I came here straight from th...
Michelle Castellano, fashion student at the Art Institute of Chicago Did you come to New York just for the exhibit?
I came here straight from the airport this morning, and I’m leaving tonight.
Was it worth it?
I’ve never seen their work side-by-side — it made me respect Prada a lot more. I didn’t expect the Prada dresses to be so great.
Any favorite pieces?
The Schiaparelli and Dali dress. I had no idea she had such a great sense of humor. I also loved the shocking pink jacket from the circus collection.
Roberta and Max Pellegrini, retired, from Italy Do you have any Prada?
RP: A couple pieces, my bag is my favorite.
If you could have a con...
Roberta and Max Pellegrini, retired, from Italy Do you have any Prada?
RP: A couple pieces, my bag is my favorite.
If you could have a conversation with either Prada or Schiaparelli who would it be, and what would you ask them about?
RP: If they have models for seniors!
Is fashion art?
RP: Fashion may be art, but not all fashion.
MP: Yes, it is art. Visual art.
1
/
19