a.  Chinese fashion inspirations.  Top left, evening dress by Valentino SpA, from the 2013 Shanghai Collection.  Bottom Left: John Galliano Couture, House of Dior, 1997/98.  Photos Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography: © Platon.  Right: Ralph Lauren jacket, 2011/12.  Headdress: Stephen Jones.  Photo © Helen Oppenheim. Collage by helenoppenheim.com
a. Chinese fashion inspirations. Top left, evening dress by Valentino SpA, from the 2013 Shanghai Collection. Bottom Left: John Galliano Couture, House of Dior, 1997/98. Photos Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography: © Platon. Right: Ralph Lauren jacket, 2011/12. Headdress: Stephen Jones. Photo © Helen Oppenheim. Collage by helenoppenheim.com
b. Left: Film still  of Anna May Wong from "Limehouse Blues," 1934.   Right: Anna May Wong's black evening dress with a gold dragon, by Travis Banton, 1934.  Photo Left: The Kobal Collection/Jones. Ray.  Right: Photography © Platon. Both photos courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
b. Left: Film still of Anna May Wong from "Limehouse Blues," 1934. Right: Anna May Wong's black evening dress with a gold dragon, by Travis Banton, 1934. Photo Left: The Kobal Collection/Jones. Ray. Right: Photography © Platon. Both photos courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
c.  Ralph Lauren evening dress with dragons, 2011/12. Photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography © Platon.
c. Ralph Lauren evening dress with dragons, 2011/12. Photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography © Platon.
d.  Headdresss by Stephen Jones for a Cristobel Balanciaga 1955/6 dress, one of over 120 imaginative Jones masterpieces.   Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
d. Headdresss by Stephen Jones for a Cristobel Balanciaga 1955/6 dress, one of over 120 imaginative Jones masterpieces. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
e.  Blue and white porcelain inspirations in Gallery 213  at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  China plates, broken china head treatments by Stephen Jones.  Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
e. Blue and white porcelain inspirations in Gallery 213 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. China plates, broken china head treatments by Stephen Jones. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
f.  Good use for your broken china.  Decorate your head as here by Stephen Jones.  Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
f. Good use for your broken china. Decorate your head as here by Stephen Jones. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
g. Movies everywhere. Including Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" 1987, seen here.  Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
g. Movies everywhere. Including Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" 1987, seen here. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
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a.  Chinese fashion inspirations.  Top left, evening dress by Valentino SpA, from the 2013 Shanghai Collection.  Bottom Left: John Galliano Couture, House of Dior, 1997/98.  Photos Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography: © Platon.  Right: Ralph Lauren jacket, 2011/12.  Headdress: Stephen Jones.  Photo © Helen Oppenheim. Collage by helenoppenheim.com
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a. Chinese fashion inspirations. Top left, evening dress by Valentino SpA, from the 2013 Shanghai Collection. Bottom Left: John Galliano Couture, House of Dior, 1997/98. Photos Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography: © Platon. Right: Ralph Lauren jacket, 2011/12. Headdress: Stephen Jones. Photo © Helen Oppenheim. Collage by helenoppenheim.com
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b. Left: Film still  of Anna May Wong from "Limehouse Blues," 1934.   Right: Anna May Wong's black evening dress with a gold dragon, by Travis Banton, 1934.  Photo Left: The Kobal Collection/Jones. Ray.  Right: Photography © Platon. Both photos courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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b. Left: Film still of Anna May Wong from "Limehouse Blues," 1934. Right: Anna May Wong's black evening dress with a gold dragon, by Travis Banton, 1934. Photo Left: The Kobal Collection/Jones. Ray. Right: Photography © Platon. Both photos courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
c.  Ralph Lauren evening dress with dragons, 2011/12. Photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography © Platon.
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c. Ralph Lauren evening dress with dragons, 2011/12. Photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography © Platon.
d.  Headdresss by Stephen Jones for a Cristobel Balanciaga 1955/6 dress, one of over 120 imaginative Jones masterpieces.   Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
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d. Headdresss by Stephen Jones for a Cristobel Balanciaga 1955/6 dress, one of over 120 imaginative Jones masterpieces. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
e.  Blue and white porcelain inspirations in Gallery 213  at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  China plates, broken china head treatments by Stephen Jones.  Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
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e. Blue and white porcelain inspirations in Gallery 213 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. China plates, broken china head treatments by Stephen Jones. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
f.  Good use for your broken china.  Decorate your head as here by Stephen Jones.  Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
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f. Good use for your broken china. Decorate your head as here by Stephen Jones. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
g. Movies everywhere. Including Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" 1987, seen here.  Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
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g. Movies everywhere. Including Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" 1987, seen here. Photo: © Helen Oppenheim

Chinesorie, cheongsams, dragons are just a few of the Chinese trends we can expect to happen because of the spectacular exhibition just opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and the Anna Wintour Costume Center.  The must-see exhibition "China Through The Looking Glass" runs to August 16, 2015 and is worth a trip to New York all on its own.

It is gorgeous, in every way, from fashions to the 120 spectacular Stephen Jones head treatments to the presentation showing how East Meets West.   There are glorious costumes from ancient times through the centuries to Chinese interpretations by the world's top fashion designers of today, and yesterday. As my favorite curator, Andrew Bolton said: "It is a heroic effort, an incredibly ambitious exhibition building bridges and cultures."

The galleries are so beautiful; they are breathtaking, from the lighting to the presentations.  And the movies shown in different galleries add to the magic (the Anna May Wong movies of the 30s …  Marlene Dietrich in "Shanghai Express"  … "The World of Suzie Wong" …  one of my favorites "Lust Caution" … Bernando Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" and more …

Take a look at just some of the inspiration here.  There are 37 photos with more details in an album on my website, worth a click to journey through the exhibition from the beginning and get those creative juices going.  Click HERE http://bit.ly/1Ifa2Fm

www.helenoppenheim.com/


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