Richard Avedon, SFMOMA, until 11/29

Mickalene Thomas, International Center for Photography

As a fashion designer, I always enjoy visiting fashion related museum exhibits.   This year I had an opportunity to travel and see four awsome exhibits in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.   Isabel Toledo had a beautiful exhibit  at The Museum at FIT in NY.   Chicago had a historical fashion exhibit,  Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures  from the Chicago History Museum.

Currently on view Richard Avedon, Fashion Photographer at the SFMOMA in San Francisco.    I love Richard Avedon’s fashion photos and SFMOMA is an amazing must see museum.  Dress Codes a photography exhibit  on view in New York at the International Center for Photography until January 10, 2010, should be seen by everyone interested in fashion and art.  I’m really looking forward to checking out the current exhibition at The Museum at FIT,  American Beauty on view November 6 – April 10, 2010 Ralph Rucci, American Beauty at the Museum at FIT

Mimi Weddell  certainly deserves a hats off from everyone under 100 years old.    At the age of 93 she lives the golden life of a vivacious energetic dancer, actress, model and trendsetter.  Ms Weddell is  an inspiration and a testament that its never too late to reinvent yourself and start again.  Due to the death of her husband she started an acting career at age 65.    To learn more about Ms Weddell and to purchase the DVD check out  www.HatsOffTheMovie.com.

Midnight Waltz, by Ludmila Arisistova, Fashion show winner, dress is hand painted with quilted jacket.

Last week I attended the Quilt Festival here in Houston and it was  absolutely  amazing.  On Thursday night Bernina held their 2008  wearable art  fashion show.  The show entitled Rendezvous featured garments from 48 designers that embroidered, beaded, quilted, and hand painted their fabulous designs.  On Friday and Saturday Bernina also held  “Meet the Designer” seminars and informal fashion shows allowing participants to talk to the designers about their design and construction techniques.  The following slide show includes a few of the designs from the informal show.

I am overwhelmed with joy that we have finally elected the first African-American for the President of the United States.  The Obama victory is a worldwide celebration that includes people  from New York to Africa dancing with joy.    The following images are from celebration parties all over the world as people express their love and support for President-elect Obama.   Hallelujah!  Change has finally come!

Sand Sculpture in Puri, Indi.

School children at President elect Obama’s former school in Jakarta, Indonisia.

Kenyan supporters celebrating President elect Obama’s victory.

President elect Obama’s extended family celebrates in Kogelo Village, Kenya.

Sandra Backlund

Louise Goldin – Fall 2008

DKNY – Fall 2008

My favorite trends for Fall 2008 from Style.Com

Derek Lam – Fall 2008

Marc Jacobs - Fall 2008

Giorgio Armani- Fall 2008

Stella McCartney - Fall 2008

Versace – Fall 2008

Doo.Ri - Fall 2008

Marni – Fall 2008

Dolce & Gabanna - Fall 2008

Balenciaga - Fall 2008

Daughters by Obedient Sons - Fall 2008

Vivienne Westwood - Fall 2008

Zero - Maria Cornejo-Fall 2008

Alessandro Dellacqua - Fall 2008

I’m still admiring my July Vogue Italia black issue featuring  beautiful and talented  black models actresses and singers.  The Italia Vogue was so hot that it had to be reprinted due to popular demand. If you missed the issue, check out the fabulous cover photos:

I attended the Texas Conference for Women in Houston on Thursday with approximately  6,000 women.  The conference closed with  actress, playwright, and poet Sarah Jones.    Ms. Jones shared her amazing  talent and the work she performed in her one woman show Bridge and Tunnel.   She is truly an  amazing performer and spokesperson for UNICEF speaking out on violence against children.

In regard to fashion, Hewlett-Packard, a conference sponsor included a display of “Fashion meets Technology” in their HP computer exhibit.  They displayed the beautiful Vivienne Tam designed computer and matching dress.

The computer goes on sale in December, but the price is still unknown.  Check out the interactive website promoting the fashionable computer at http://www.tech-chic.com/.      Info on the conference and the upcoming 2009 schedule can be found at http://www.txconferenceforwomen.org/.

Vogue Covers: On Fashion’s Front Page Other Views – Click on image to change view.

For Fashion designers, historians, illustrators, photographers, stylist, and everyone that loves fashion this Vogue book is a “must have” for your library. It includes Vogue’s fabulous covers from 1916 until today with amazing illustrations and photography. Best price is at Amazon.com

From Amazon Editorial Reviews:

“Inventive, glamorous, gorgeous—since the beginning Vogue has set the platinum standard for fashion magazines the world over and has become an icon in its own right. Vogue’s covers sum up the superlative visual ideals of the whole magazine. For the first time, this book brings together in one volume nearly a century of covers both illustrated and photographic. Over 200 stunning images have been selected from an archive of more than 1,500. What sets Vogue’s covers apart is that each is so bold, so beautiful, and so emphatically different. They mark the course of history, chart changing fashions and ideas of beauty, and hold up a mirror to the cultural and social revolutions of the 20th century. Since 1916 Vogue’s covers have celebrated the most striking women of our age, captured by the century’s leading photographers, the greatest artists, and the most inventive fashion. Brilliant, captivating, and full of life, this is the face of the world’s most influential magazine and the original style bible.”