Metropolitan Museum of Art ♦ New York City

Manus x Machina through September 5, 2016

Being a Texas transplant, I still try to make it up North as often as possible, specifically to grand cities and hubs of commerce like Chicago or NYC. My most recent trip to New York just so happened to be my husband’s first time in the city, so for that solitary reason I left virtually the entire itinerary up to him. We visited the spots he most wanted to see during our short stay, like the Statue of Liberty and Wall Street.

I just made one little request: to see the Costume Institute Manus x Machina Exhibit at the Met. I had been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I was younger, but this would be my first chance to see Anna Wintour‘s legacy, her pet project that has propelled high fashion from an occasional red carpet scene to a fervent conversation and philanthropic cause. As both a fashion blogger and PR consultant, I was yearning to walk through the halls and admire the craftsmanship and the campaign for high fashion.

If you haven’t yet heard, this year’s topic was fashion in the age of technology, meaning the contrast between handmade (manus) items, and the new age machines (machina) are creating with their laser-cutting and 3D-printing. How do the two worlds combine? How do they spur each other on? And the exhibit, as expected, was breathtaking.

The Chanel dress that has become the symbol of the show itself kicks everything off in a grand rotunda with a kaleidoscope of the train’s embellishments rotating overhead. It instantly sets the tone for the show as a whole: elevated, enthralling, and engaging. We floated from Dior gowns to Proenza Schouler dresses to stunning examples of Alexander McQueen embroidery. Each piece was a contemporary expression of what it means to create haute couture in today’s world, and each one was mind-blowing in its technique and sheer beauty.

I left the exhibit buzzing from drinking in all the fashion fermentations. Texas, LA, and all the markets that FGI calls home may have their own distinctive style, but the Met exhibit brought together all aspects of the fashion world in a stunning display of sheer talent. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget, and I cannot emphasize enough that it is a must-see for style enthusiasts and technology mavens alike. It’s the future for all of us, and it’s a bright one at that.

Author: Aquila Mendez-Valdez (Executive Member – FGI San Antonio)

Aquila Mendez-Valdez is an award-winning blogger and public relations professional in San Antonio, Texas. She launched Haute in Texas as a personal blog in 2011, and it has since grown into a community of like-minded women, in addition to a platform for her clients across a wide variety of industries. To join Aquila in the pursuit of the haute life, you can follow her blog at hauteintexas.com. She can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat at @HauteInTexas.