In Pursuit of Museum-Worthy Fashion at the Met New York

There’s a new fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. And it’s not May! For the first time in recent memory, there’s a winter-time exhibition at the Costume Institute at the Met: an exhibit of couture pieces from the personal collection of Sandy Schreier. So we recently went in pursuit of museum-worthy fashion at an exhibit at the Met New York.

in pursuit of museum-worthy fashion at the met new york

The new exhibit, In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection, features some the best pieces from a collection that Schreier amassed over the course of 50 years. 

It’s a treasure trove of twentieth-century French and American couture and ready-to-wear. Schreier built one of the greatest private collections of apparel from this era and has promised to donate the highlights to the Met as part of its 150th anniversary celebration in 2020.

The show features approximately 80 of the 165 promised gifts to the museum, including womenswear, accessories, and fashion illustrations. 

We were delighted to learn that Schreier, now 80, is from our hometown, Detroit. Her father worked at Russeks, a local department store, now defunct. Growing up, Schreier often received dresses as gifts from some of the store’s best clients. Perhaps its not a surprise that the conservation of haute fashion became her life’s passion.

The show at the Met includes many rare and historically significant pieces that define key moments in fashion. The designers featured include Cristóbal Balenciaga, Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, Mariano Fortuny, Karl Lagerfeld, and Paul Poiret.

The New York Times reports that designers including Calvin Klein and Edith Head made pilgrimages to Schreier’s secret storage facility in Detroit to see her collection.

Highlights of the Sandy Schreier fashion collection exhibit

1. Elegant shimmering evening gowns

The exhibit opens with a series of formal couture gowns with hand embroidery and romantic, ethereal silhouettes. 

There are stunning pieces from Chanel. The through-line here is florals and botanicals: poppies, roses, and other blooms adorn these dreamy dresses in lovely, distinctive ways.

There are examples of draping and layering that represent the highest level of craftsmanship. Examining these gowns up close gives a viewer a deeper appreciation of the craft of dress-making. It takes a lot of skill to make a dress flow so effortlessly, as we learned earlier this year at a workshop hosted by Zac Posen at Neiman Marcus in Hudson Yards. 

2. Chic cocktail dresses

The floor-length gowns are followed by a number of chic cocktail dresses. We love the graceful shadows created by the curatorial team. The garments almost seem to be in motion in some cases, which is a wonderful effect. 

The common element here is grace, and gracefulness – the clean simplicity of the dresses make the wearer the focus. It’s impossible not to think about Grace Kelly in Rear Window when you see some of these fit-and-flare, highly feminine frocks.

If you need a reminder, here’s further proof that a little black dress is the eternally chic way to show up for almost anything.

Several of the cocktail dresses have a 1920’s flapper vibe.

As always with a fashion exhibit at a major museum, our fellow visitors were in many cases part of the master class on how to dress. 

3. Cheeky Statement dresses

There’s an alcove tucked away from the rest of the exhibit, and there’s a party going on in there. So be sure not to miss it! Filled with kitschy accessories from designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Moschino, we suspect that many visitors will find this the most intriguing and memorable element of all.

After all, it’s not every day that you see an egg dress.

4. Whimsical fantastical hats 

While sadly there are no shoes in this exhibit, there are some truly memorable hats and other accessories. They also hold pride of place in the “party room,” which only seems appropriate.

The showstopper for us is this stunning Philip Treacy “butterfly hat.” 

Other toppers in the collection are chic and restrained, like a collection of cloches with detailed beading, hand embroidery and subtle shine.

While some of the other chapeaus are humorous, provocative and well . . . just a bit weird.

5. A bracelet to remember

We’ll close with one of the most whimsical and energizing bracelets we think we’ve ever seen.

in pursuit of museum-worthy fashion at the met new york

We learned after visiting this exhibit that Sandy Schreier is said to own over 15,000 fashion items. None of which she ever wore! Considered them works of art, and kept them in immaculate condition in her ever-expanding personal fashion museum.

That makes us a bit sad, since for us the fun of fashion is not just in viewing something wonderful, but also in living it. Wearing it to the most important occasions of our lives, and drawing energy and inspiration from what we’ve chosen to wear each day. Nevertheless, her discipline, focus and collectors eye is now a boon to us all.

And it did make us smile when the Times reporter asked Schreier the most pressing question of all: What are you going to wear to the opening?

She replied: “I haven’t made a decision! It’s going to be very difficult. Maybe I’ll pretend it’s a wedding and change three times.” Love it!

The Sandy Schreier fashion collection exhibit at the Costume Institute at the Met New York will continue through May 17, 2020. Catch it if you can. And even if you don’t, you can experience a great deal of the fun by reading the catalog that accompanies the exhibit.

So, which of these looks would love to add to your own personal collection?

join our community

For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter here. And see luxury in a new light.

Forward This Article