There are days when I expect awesome things to happen (I try to make this a practice everyday) and then there are days that completely exceed that expectation. When I am invited to an event, especially if it's a fashion event, I always think about my "attendance goals". First goal... if this experience is for me, let me "get in the room". Second, meet the key players. Third, get out, on to the next experience and remember to follow up. At times, there may be a few other goals that come in between and/or follow but these three are the staples, my go to's, my definite's.
From the moment this particular invitation hit my in-box, I knew I was in for something big. Certainly, my interpretation of "something big" compared to what someone else may think is big is probably slightly skewed but those who know me personally and most of those who are as in love with the industry of fashion as I am will totally understand. It was an invitation to be one of the first to see and experience the newest installation at the Metropolitan Museum. That's exciting yes, but what really got my heart racing was seeing her name preceding the words "...invites you to...". That's right, you guessed it. Anna Wintour.
China Through The Looking Glass, the Costume Institute’s Spring 2015 Exhibition at Metropolitan Museum focuses on Chinese Imagery in Art, Film, and Fashion and I was honored to be in the room, Goal #1.
The Costume Institute’s spring 2015 exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass, will be on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from May 7 through August 16, 2015. Presented in the Museum’s Chinese Galleries and Anna Wintour Costume Center, the exhibition will explore how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries, resulting in highly creative distortions of cultural realities and mythologies. In this collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art, high fashion will be juxtaposed with Chinese costumes, paintings, porcelains, and other art, as well as films, to reveal enchanting reflections of Chinese imagery.
Sounds exciting right? Well, it certainly is and although I was only able to see a small portion of what the exhibit will look like in May, I was completely mystified by its beauty. No detail was left to chance...even the program itself was beautifully crafted.
So, when you find yourself in the room with the art of fashion greats like, Anna Wintour, Suzy Menkes, Andrew Bolton and Joe Zee, what do you do? What I do is take it all in because each moment deserves my attention. It's the only way to truly appreciate such a surreal moment. It made me realize...dreams really do come true and I was in a room full of dreamers. It's inspiring, exhilarating even, if truth be told, it was extremely difficult to hold back tears.
Again, if you don't know me, you may not understand the significance of this but as a once skinny, slightly "strange", yet happy go lucky little black girl from a very small town in North Carolina who dreamed of being a significant part and influence in the fashion industry since the age of 8, meeting and shaking hands with Anna Wintour meant a lot. In God's perfect way, the opportunity for me to accomplish Goal #2, "Meet the key players" during this event literally stood right before me. There is no photo to remind me of the moment she actually introduced herself saying, "Hi, I'm Anna Wintour.", as if I didn't know, yet it is forever etched in my mind.
There are a few things I admire about people when I meet them. Knowing and understanding your value is definitely high on the list but being personable and humble is the most admirable, especially when it is unexpected. When people are elevated to a certain level, sometimes they can be pretentious, mean even and though I do not know Anna personally, I felt her spirit was sweet and caring. This is not often the picture the media presents but I want to be the one to tell you in this personal meeting, she had a very gracious attitude and I very much valued and appreciated that. I hope the feeling was mutual though I'm sure she had no idea who I am...our paths will cross again.
Anna seemed to be just as excited to see and fascinated by the exhibit as the rest of the attendees. It truly is something special to have an admiration for art and culture and to know that these things inspire us all. I am a self-proclaimed "Experience Chaser" so for this reminder and many others, I am beyond thankful for the experience. It's yet another confirmation of the dream and then I finally allowed the tears to flow.
