Thursday, May 30, 2019

C.A.M.P


The Mistress is up.... and what a whirlwind week. I headed back to work today for a whole two day work week, before more guest arrive this weekend. The Memorial weekend went off very fun, and I got to meet Timmy finally, a reader of mine, after all these years. He even survived all the debauchery from the pool party and seeing me in a square cut, although he was a bit bashful in the boylesque show when the cod piece came off, but loved the drag show..... but what a simply sweet guy, and very shy. We hit it off quite well, and was a bit sad to see him go back home. Tuesday was used to show him all the sights in New Hope, and then Wednesday...New York City, to the Met for the CAMP exhibit. And sweet cakes, I'm here to tell you it was fabulous!!!!!! Thank goodness for Anna Wintour featuring this creative exhibit...probably one of the best since I saw the Alexander McQueen showing. After breakfast at La Mercerie, it was off to the Met, where there was NO famine of beauty. Ensuing eye treat ahead!!!

A lot people are still confused about what "camp," the theme of this year's Met exhibit, actually means. But as soon as you set foot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's costume exhibit, all becomes clear: Camp has nothing to do with tie-dying t-shirts at summer camp, thanks goodness!!!!! It has everything to do with basking in the fabulousness,glory, irony, and humor of being extra.
OBESSED with this next one....

From Balenciaga's towering platform Crocs to Bjork's infamous swan dress and the Mugler oyster shell gown Cardi B wore to the Grammys, the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibit is an exploration of how over-the-top fashion (or more accurately, FASHUN) has been used as both a form of expression and escapism throughout history. The concept was inspired by Susan Sontag's 1964 essay that defines camp as "love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration."
Christmas gift idea people.....
This next chapeau I have sought after forever....one of these days....I have loved this swan headpieces for years.

In our current divisive political landscape filled with polarizing Internet opinions and a never-ending news cycle, camp is more timelier now than ever.  In an age of toxic masculinity in Trump's America, it's now more important than ever to hold onto and highlight camp's original roots: the LGBTQ community. The first part of the exhibit looks back to queer subcultures of Europe and America that largely defined and explored homosexuality through camp in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are portraits of nude male bodies by photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe and Thomas Eakins, as well as a statue of the Greek God Antinous, Hadrian’s lover, which Bolton refers to as the “archetypical camp pose.” Today's camp movement can be largely defined by drag culture.

Here's some P-town looks for me this year that would be lovely....

While the first half of the exhibit highlights the early, less obvious stages of camp, the second half is an ode to "deliberate camp.  Even Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton were even quoted as saying it is quite impossible to define "camp". But in my mind to put it most simply, it's basically just a room full of the most over the top , fabulous couture pieces from the last few decades that none of your relatives on Facebook, Instagram or close friends would ever understand—and that's the most fun part of it all, and all pieces I would gladly slip into for eye popping day looks. It was a well presented exhibit.
Timmy is there at the end of the video. He'll kill me for posting this.
Luv ya babes!

35 comments:

  1. You naughty boy... did you draw a penis on that mannequin!!!

    Your VP came here today, we're sending him back!

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    1. Noooooo. I would have drawn a much larger dick!

      And you can keep that bastard! And if you have any cheese wire, that would look great around his neck, pulled real tight.

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  2. ooooooooooooooh, tim's a cutie! you would look good in some of those dresses.

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    1. That swan chapeau is sooooo the Mistress right?

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    2. actually, the pix right above the swan chapeau would look FABU on the mistress! so elegant and so classic, just like her!

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  3. I. LOVE. THIS.
    Thank you for showing off and placing the amazing world of camp on this pedestal for the world to see and love, for I am trying hard to get there to see this.

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  4. GOREGOUS!!!!!!! But wouldn't those P-town looks be over dressed for you???

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  5. Hats off to the Anna Wintour and the curator and set design of this exhibition- looks extraordinary! My favorite is I think the Joan Crawford gown.

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    1. The over coat your referring to is a Marc Jacob's creation, but that is actually the great Maria Callas on that coat, not Joan Crawford ...alas. but still fabulous.

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  6. Looks like the exhibition nailed the theme of Camp so much better than most of the celebrities at the gala. Lots of feathers and sequins don't automatically equal Camp in my book.

    And don't get me started on eating at La Mercerie….I love that place!!!!! And glad to hear you had another wonderful meeting. Will Timmy come back again?!?!?!?!

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  7. Brava Mistress!!!!! You have got me wanting to go now. William and I do plan to go. Susan Sontag's essay was responsible for transforming Camp in a sophisticated style amongst the rich and powerful of the fashion world, but Camp as we know today was born from Drag Queens and the NYC Balls during the 60's and the 70's. She missed to mention that. But the exhibit is lovely, and the timeline they traced is amazing as well. I heard they even featured Oscar Wilde!!! I will die to see this! It reminds me somewhat of the exhibition The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined, which I adored. I'm inclined to go read the essay on camp now before I go. Sounds like you were a wonderful host as always.

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  8. Camp is my favorite form of fashion. There's no rules. Just pure fun and artistry. I wish I had the privilege of enjoying this amazing sight of this exhibition. Stunning!

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  9. Wow, this is so amazing!!!! I'm so glad for the internet and always enjoy your blog, the allows us this much culture even being so far away! Thank you for the post you gave us, the exhibit is marvellous. I would love to see it in person.

    And yes, I see you in some of these looks...maybe next Night of a Thousand Gowns???

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  10. sigh....if only I could get to New York to see this. I was smiling across this whole entire post. It was fantastic - this exhibition is revolutionary. And yes wear that sailor ensemble to P-Town. How cool you met yet another person off your blog. One day when I come to philly again...….

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  11. Really wonderful and a good history lesson. :-)

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  12. I do hope this exhibition comes to London - I really want to see for myself how the divine La Wintour and co have explained why they have specifically chosen some of the items on display... From what you have posted, however, it looks dazzling - and that, after all, is what it's all about! Jx

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    1. And that's not even the half of it darling.

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  13. Looks like fun, don't work to hard - a two day work week!

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  14. OMG Maddie! This is fucking awesome!
    Thanks for the photos! I won’t be able to make it (adulting is HARD!) so I’ll live vicariously through you 🤣.
    Fantastic commentary too! Loved the vid!

    XoXo

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  15. A drag queens wet dream!!!!!!

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  16. Maddie, did you order one of each? And was that a dual flamingo head piece? Looks like a great few days with your guest. You are ever the gracious host.

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  17. I think only LGBTQ people truly understand camp. It's one of our culture's great gifts to the world!

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  18. So. Much. Frou Frou. ... Fabulous!
    And I rather like that big butterfly ball(gown).

    Although, "platform Crocs"? I'm sure a certain other Mistress of our acquaintance would think 'carbuncle' rather than 'camp'.

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    1. I have shouted CROCS...from the highest point...no response. Are we sure she is not being held ransom somewhere?????

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    2. Ha! I have an idea!
      Sx

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  19. What a great show. I wonder which is your favorite look for Palm Springs...

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  20. I'm not into fashion, but I can appreciate it. And you would never wear that much clothes, who you kidding???

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  21. Well done, mistress! Camp, of course, has been around for centuries - most mainstream folks might recognize the term as it relates to theatre. Last night's "Drag Race" finale crowned a Queen who fully embraced Camp.
    Happy Friday, happy weekend. Hugs!

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  22. I plane to go too....what a great preview. And it was great seeing you at the pool show....damn your gorgeous girl, and timmy was so darn cute and innocent.

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  23. The Warhol CAMPbell soup dress is a reminds me of the similarities between camp and pop art. They might even be the same thing.

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  24. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!! You have certainly opened my eyes to many new things, and I couldn't have went to the camp exhibit with a better person. I had a blast and enjoyed seeing the Casa too. Your birds there certainly are insane to watch. You have no idea how much joy you brought to my couple days there.

    Thanks again.

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    1. The mistress is top shelf bitch right?

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  25. I love all the frou-frou too. Thank you for sharing this!
    Sx

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  26. I need in that closet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!