Invitation to Met Museum June 22

Most of you have heard about the exhibit but I'll recap...
The Met is having a special exhibit of fashion until September. It's all about fashion influenced by comic books.

I told the organizer about the League Of Heroes group (costume designers) - that we love to dress up as superheroes and would love to have their permission to visit the exhibit without causing random disturbances that costumes can. The organizer invited us to come on June 22nd which is a day that they will be hosting several interesting panels about the folklore of comics.

Please let me know if you are interested in coming along or meeting up there. Admission is around $20, I think but if there's enough of us we can get a group rate.

I'm thinking with this group of speakers, DC is best represented. If you want to go sans costumes, that's cool too; DH won't be dressed up and will my designated photographer as usual.

Photography is not allowed in the exhibits but at the panels should be fine. Look for signs.

Here are the juicy details:

Media Alert
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Communications Department
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028-0198
tel (212) 570-3951 fax (212) 472-2764
communications@metmuseum.org
MEDIA ADVISORY
The Costume Institute Presents Panels and Lectures on Superhero Costumes in Comics

When: Sunday, June 22, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

What: Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy – Sunday at the Met
This all-day event of lectures and panel discussions brings together leading international scholars, critics, and designers to discuss the world of costumes and comics. Themes include the appropriation of the uniform, the adaptation of superhero costumes for the screen, the creation of modern mythologies, and the role of the superhero as metaphor in contemporary society. Free with Museum admission; reservations and tickets not required. The exhibition, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, which has been seen by more than 100,000 visitors in its first three weeks, runs through September 1, 2008.

Who: The program, hosted by Peter Coogan, Director of The Institute for Comics Studies, is presented in conjunction with Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy curated by Andrew Bolton, Curator, The Costume Institute. The schedule includes:
Peter Coogan, "E Pluribus Unitard: Notes Toward a Theory of Superhero Costuming"
Writers Panel: Danny Fingeroth (author, Disguised as Clark Kent), Richard Reynolds (author, Superheroes: A Modern Mythology), Paul Levitz (President and Publisher, DC Comics)
Scott Bukatman (Associate Professor, Art and Art History, Stanford University), "The Boys in the Hoods: The Costumed Vigilante as Urban Dandy"
Costume Designers Panel: Geoff Klock (Assistant Professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College), Adi Granov and Phil Saunders (costume designers, Iron Man)
Artists Panel: Alex Ross (comic artist), Stanford Carpenter (Assistant Professor, Visual & Critical Studies, School of the Art Institute of Chicago), Arlen Schumer (comic book art historian, Dynamic Duo Studios)
Michael Uslan (executive producer, The Dark Knight), "The Gods of Greece, Rome, and Egypt Still Exist - Only Today They Wear Spandex & Capes!"
Where: The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street

Contact: Nancy Chilton or Elyse Topalian, 212-570-3951, or communications@metmuseum.org. For more information and a schedule of events, please consult the online Calendar at www.metmuseum.org


The exhibition is made possible by Giorgio Armani.

Additional support is provided by Condé Nast.


**Super Heroes is a registered trademark jointly owned by DC Comics and Marvel Characters, Inc.

# # #


Beth Delaney
ComicFusion.com
DynamicForces.com
herofashions.blogspot.com

Metropolitan Museum's Superhero Exhibit

You'll be able to find a great deal of information on this exhibit which runs until Sept 1st. I saw the E! coverage and then looked through the USA Today photo gallery which gives you a nice look at the celebs in their "comic themed" formal wear.

I'm hoping to get to this. Based on the news coverage I saw, there didn't seem to be much that actually looked like superhero stuff other than DC's Trinity display and a Catwoman display. The E! coverage yesterday of the previous night's gala showed a lot of celebrities in gowns "inspired by superheroes" and I honestly didn't much connection with really using my imagination.

The best imo was Christina Ricci in a Wonder Woman style suit under a pale pink chiffon overlay. Fergie was in a black gown with a cheetah brooch on her shoulder which I'm guessing could pass for a Catwoman theme. Katie Holmes was wearing a red gown with blue shoes. Victoria Beckham could pass for an Emma Frost influenced in her white coat style gown if you really stretch your imagination. Naomi Watts was in an all white gown sort of Roman style which had a nice size metallic star on her belly. As for the men, Zac Posen in a shiny purple suit is really the only that looks like something other than a Bruce Wayne formal black tux.

Kate Bosworth, Kimora Lee Simmons and designer Diane von Furstenberg all looked like comic books threw up on them. Vogue editor and the event's organizer Anna Wintour claims to have looked to X-Men's Storm for her gown but to me it looks more like Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Venus Williams had this massive red cape over her gown which looked ridiculous.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/gallery/day/flash.htm?gid=56&aid=2494