NYC Best Exhibit Of The Year: “Manus x Machina”

“Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened its new Costume Institute exhibition last Thursday, "Manus x Machina", curated by Andrew Bolton, to explore how fashion designers are balancing the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and ready-to-wear.

More than 170 garments, dating from the early 20th century to the present day, the exhibition demonstrates the traditional haute couture (with detailed embroidery, feather-work, artificial flowers, pleating, lacework, and leatherwork) and the modern day couture, which incorporates innovative processes (such as 3-D printing, computer modeling, bonding & laminating, laser cutting, and ultrasonic welding).

This exhibit is about skill, workmanship and how time and technology change in fashion.

House of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld
A/W 2014-15, Haute Couture

"Made from scuba knit, a synthetic material, the dress is hand molded, machine sewn, and hand finished.
The medallion was hand embroidered by Atelier Montex with glass, crystal, paillettes, anthracite cannetilles, and gold leather leaf motifs."

The close up

"The buttons were hand embroidered with gold, glass and crystals by Maison Desrues."

House of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld
A/W 2005-6, haute couture

"This wedding dress was made by hand from start to finish. With artificial flowers, embroidery
and feather work, it took seven hundred hours of handwork."

The artificial flower (camellias) aka Chanel's signature flower, was introduced by Andre Lemarie.
"Each flower takes up to ninety minutes to complete."

Giambattista Valli
S/S 2013, haute couture

"Machine-sewn ivory silk tulle, hand-embroidered with handmade pale pink "cherry blossom"
florets of ostrich, rooster and goose feathers."

Karl Lagerfeld
S/S 2010, haute couture

"Cape: 1300 hand-pieced pink silk satin flowers by Lemarie with pink frosted crystals."

"The pink cape was made from 1300 satin camellias... They grew from small flowers at the collar to large flowers at the hem. Chanel was very discreet with the camellia - brooches, corsages." - Karl Lagerfeld.

Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent
S/S 1999, prêt-à-porter

"Bridal wreath, bracelet and anklet: handmade pink and gold silk flowers and leaves by Lemarie;
Train: machine-sewn pink silk gazar."

Alexander McQueen
S/S 2009, prêt-à-porter

"Machine-sewn silk duchesse satin and nude silk georgette, hand-embroidered with metal flower petals."

Prada, Miuccia Prada
A/W 2015, prêt-à-porter

"Machine-sewn synthetic jersey-gazar, self-fabric machine-and hand-sewn applique,
hand-embroidered with clear glass beads and crystals."

House of Dior, Raf Simons
S/S 2012-13, haute couture

"Machine-sewn white silk organdy and blue silk net hand-embroidered by Hurel
with blue, clear and yellow sequins, clear bugle beads and crystals;
Machine-sewn ivory silk crepe, tulle and chiffon, hand-embroidered by Lesage
with gold metal thread, pearls, pink crystals and hand-cut pink flower petals;
Hand-finished."

House of Dior, Yves Saint Laurent
S/S 1958, haute couture

"For his debut collection for Dior, YSL presented an exaggerated lampshade-like silhouette
dubbed the "trapeze line," of which this dress is an exemplar."

Hand-embroidered. "A chevron of set crystals encircles the neckline, punctuated with cluster of looped tassels with beaded strands. Elsewhere, embroidered dots of silver thread, crystals and paillettes alternate with tiny quatrefoil blooms of sequins anchored with rhinestone centers."

House of Dior, Raf Simons
S/S 2014, haute couture

This dress, made from two layers of white silk mousseline, was machine-sewn and hand-embroidered
by Atelier Montex and Broderies Vermont.

"The underdress was embroidered with clear plastic crystals, red glass seed beads, and clear and white plastic flower-shaped paillettes.
The overdress was embroidered with white  rayon florettes, red glass seed beads, iridescent flower-shaped paillettes, and small pieces of blue, black and white silk fabric. 

House of Dior, Christian Dior
S/S 1952, haute couture (left)
S/S 1953, haute couture (right)

"Machine-sewn, hand-finished white silk organza and net, hand-embroidered with artificial flowers, clover and grass in green, pink and purple silk floss."

Hussein Chalayan (British, born Cyprus)
A/W 2011-12, prêt-à-porter

"Cast fiberglass painted with gold metallic pigment, hung with Swarovski crystal and pearled
paper "pollens", rear-entry panels with motorized hinges, radio-controlled digital handset."

"The wearer enters the dress through a rear-access panel, and the entire garment, which is on wheels, is operated via remote control. Each "pollen" is spring loaded. During a peak moment, all the pollens are released into the air and swirl around the wearer... The dress is meant to symbolize new beginning." - Hussein Chalayan

Gareth Pugh (British)
A/W 2015-16, prêt-à-porter

Machine-sewn silk-wool gazar with overlay of mesh, hand-embroidered with plastic drinking straws.

"Each straw was cut by hand... The were attached individually with metal hardware
- a little twisted jewelry fitting that hooked onto the fabric base. On the runway,
you could hear them before you see them.
And they moved beautifully like feathers caught in a gust of wind." - Gareth Pugh

Maiko Takeda (Japanese)
2013

"Hand-cut transparent yellow and green ombre acetate fringe, hand-woven with machine-cut clear acrylic squares,
hand-assembled with silver metal jump rings, cast aluminum strap."

"Through the experiment process, I developed the technique to create a visual effect of intangible aura by layering printed clear film, sandwiched with acrylic discs and linked together with silver jump rings... The effect is that [they] look somehow digital, but the point was they were all made of [the] tactile and low-tech material around us." - Maiko Takeda

Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton (British)
A/W 2014-15, haute couture

Cape: machine-sewn black silk organdy;
Dress: machine-sewn, hand-finished black silk chiffon,
Both were hand-embroidered with black
ostrich feathers and purple, black, gray and green goose feathers.

House of Givenchy, Hubert de Givenchy
1966-67, haute couture

"Machine-sewn, hand-finished dark brown silk broadcloth, hand-glued with brown and white ostrich feathers."

Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton
S/S 2012, prêt-à-porter

Hand-and-machine-sewn nude silk organdy and net, hand-embroidered with
red, orange glass beads, freshwater pearls, pieces of coral and dyed shells.

"A lot of our embroideries are designed in out atelier, then sent to India to be executed...
Everything was done by hand - the embroidery, the cutting and fraying" - Sarah Burton. 

Louis Vuitton Co., Nicolas Ghesquiere (French)
S/S 2016, prêt-à-porter

"Machine-sewn white cotton poplin; Machine-sewn, hand-appliquéd overlay of ivory
silk-synthetic net, bonded with laser-cut silver metallic strips, hand- airbrushed with
dark brown, blue and gray pigment, hand-grommeted with copper metal"

And here comes the futuristic pieces..

Iris van Herpen (Dutch, right)
S/S 2010, haute couture

"3-D printed white polyamide by Materialise, machine-sewn white goat leather, hand-cut acrylic fringe."

Threeasfour
S/S 2014, prêt-à-porter

"Machines-sewn white nylon power mesh, hand-embroidered with
3-D printed ivory resin and nylon by Materialise"

Iris van Herpen
S/S 2015, prêt-à-porter

"Machine-sewn black polyester microfiber and cotton twill, hand-finished, hand-embroidered
with clear thermoformed laser-cut acrylic, hand-joined with clear silicone connectors"

"This dress is made from laser-cut silicone chevrons that have been baked in an oven.
I assembled the dress myself - by hand... It took days and days, but it was a fun process -
like Lego - a gigantic puzzle. I call the technique 3-D lacework." - Iris van Herpen.

Comme des Garcons, Noir Kei Ninomiya (Japanese)
A/W 2015-16, prêt-à-porter

"Machine-sewn black synthetic leather with overlay of hand-folded black synthetic leather flower,
hand-linked and hand shaped with black metal studs."

"This piece is cute from an unconventional pattern, and assembled by hand without sewing...
I am always searching for new and alternative ways to build a form." - Kei Ninomiya.

Iris van Herpen
A/W 2012, haute couture

"3-D printed dark orange epoxy by Materialise, hand-sanded and hand-sprayed with
a technical transparent resin."

"This dress was 3-D printed using stereolithography. It was built layer by layer in a vessel of liquid polymer. The polymer hardens when struck by a laser beam. The technique allows for more texture and transparency than selective sintering. Graphic and organic elements come together to evoke dimensional lacework." - Iris van Herpen.

For those of you who don't have a chance to visit NYC, I hope you enjoy this post which showcases some of the mind-blowing pieces from exhibition. You can find more photos of other pieces on Travel Fontaneously Facebook page. If you are lucky enough to visit NYC the next few months, this is something you should not miss!

“Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through August 14.

(Please note: All photos in this post are taken by me, except the one with me in it, so please be respectful and do not use them without my consent. Thank you.)

Bonus: Here are all the patterns in on photo : )