A Conversation with Matthew Teitelbaum of the Art Gallery of Ontario about Art and Fashion

Matthew Teitelbaum, Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario

Recently I sat down with Matthew Teitelbaum, the Michael and Sonja Koerner Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario,  to talk about his views on fashion and art. I was looking for a contrary viewpoint to that of Nathalie Bondil, the Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, who during our interview at the Gaultier press preview clearly defined fashion as art. Whether fashion is or is not art is definitely a topic worthy of discussion....  An extract of my conversation with Matthew was published on Fashion Projects here.

Now if only I could get Harold Koda or Anna Wintour to have a chat with me....

Anna, Stella and Sarah at Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Sarah Burton, Stella McCartney and Anna Wintour at the Press Preview for Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

There seems to be a little bit of confusion as to where I was on Monday. I am a fashion scholar, not a fashionista and I did not attend the Costume Institute Gala at the Met.  But I was at Monday's press preview for Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, attending as the reporter for Fashion Projects.

The speakers that morning included Metropolitan Museum of Art director Thomas P. Campbell, curator of the exhibition Andrew Bolton, as well as Stella McCartney and Sarah Burton. Anna Wintour, although present at the event, did not speak (and yes she had her sunglasses in her hand).

Stella McCartney at the Press Preview for Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Met

Stella McCartney, who was co-chair of the gala event in the evening, said "the mind, the hand and the artistry (of McQueen's work) are breathtaking".  In her poignant comments, she honored both his memory and their friendship,  citing the many parallels between their careers.

Sarah Burton at the Press Preview for Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Met

Sarah Burton, who is no doubt exhausted after her work on the royal wedding, said only a few sentences about her work with Lee describing him as a "genius" who had incredible "passion and attention to detail". She also said that she was "proud to have worked with him".

As is probably evident from my photos, I had front row seats during the presentation. There were literally hundreds of press in attendance and it was really memorable to be part of the opening of this extraordinary exhibition that celebrates the rare genius of Lee Alexander McQueen.

Over the next week or so, I will post selections of the many photos I took inside the exhibition as well as a review of the exhibition catalogue. To read my review of the exhibition itself, please visit Fashion Projects at  www.fashionprojects.org or click here.

An Exhibition Review of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photograph by Solve Sundsbo/Art + Commerce
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

It was a day I'll never forget. While at the Metropolitan Museum's press preview of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,  I rubbed shoulders with Harold Koda, Philip Treacy, Hamish Bowles, Suzy Menkes, and Anna Wintour.  Read my review for Fashion Projects  here.

Bill Cunningham New York

"The best fashion show is on the street" said Bill Cunningham. This charming 82 year old photographer is the original Sartorialist, capturing New York street style and society parties for the New York Times. His  two weekly columns called "On the Street" and "Evening Hours" have been fixtures in the Sunday paper for nearly 50 years.

Originally opening in New York on March 16, this documentary by Richard Press and Philip Gefter  finally arrived in Toronto and I attended the pre-screening last night at the Varsity Theatre as a guest of Fashion Television.

The movie celebrates Bill Cunningham's work as a "fashion anthropologist". Not interested in celebrities, Bill uses his Nikon camera and Kodak film to document what people are wearing on the street. Out in all types of weather, he says "I let the street speak to me". Stalking his fashionable prey like a hunter, he wears the uniform of a French garbageman and rides his Schwinn bicycle around the city looking for creative dressers to photograph. Many of his photographs have never been published and he keeps the archives of his negatives in rows of filing cabinets that dominate his apartment.

It is clear that this man loves his work. Living a monastic existence in a tiny studio apartment with a shared bathroom, he works day and night. His bicycle is his main mode of transport even at night when he attends an array of gala benefits where he photographs pretty party-goers and philanthropists. Seeming at ease with everyone, he refuses to accept even a glass of water at any of the events he attends,  fearing that to do so might compromise his independence.

"We all get dressed for Bill" said Anna Wintour who went on to add that it was a bad day when Bill declined to photograph her. Interviews with other style makers like Harold Koda, Patrick Macdonald, and Iris Apfel  give evidence to how much this man is loved. In 2008, Bill Cunningham was awarded the title chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture which was pinned onto his blue garbageman smock. He also worked the event saying it was "too much fun not to".

I sat through the movie with a big smile on my face and laughed out loud at Cunningham's sharp wit and fierce sense of independence. Although there are some awkward moments in the movie, like when Bill is asked about his religion and relationships, the movie paints a colourful picture of a man that has been a fixture on the New York fashion scene for decades. Plus I couldn't help but admire someone who says "If you don't take money, they can't tell you what to do".