Exhibition Journal: Shanghai Glamour

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These journal pages are from a visit I made to the Museum of Chinese in America two years ago.  In contrast to the exhibition at the Met’s Costume Institute that is currently running, China: Through the Looking Glass which examines Chinese influences on Western fashion, Shanghai Glamour showed how Chinese women adapted aspects of Western dress to create a new style of dress in the early twentieth century.

After the end of the Opium War in 1842, the British victors were able to dictate the creation of “trade cities” in China.  These cities were made to tolerate a Western presence and were forced to allow trade with them.  Shanghai was one of the trade cities.  By the twentieth century there were large British, American, and French populations in the city.  It was an increasingly cosmopolitan place.

The exhibition showed how the women of Shanghai created their own distinctive style of dress, which was based on Chinese traditional dress but incorporated elements of the West.  The look was feminine, but modern.

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There is a lot of discussion about how Western fashion appropriates different cultures, so it was interesting to see how cultural influences flowed the other way. Sometimes we forget that culture often works on an exchange system.

Shanghai Glamour: New Women 1910s-40s at MOCA

As I said in my review of Front Row: Chinese American Designers , the Museum of Chinese in America was one of the highlights of my recent trip to New York.  Two fashion exhibitions plus an excellent permanent exhibition made for a great morning being immersed in a multi-faceted learning experience.

Even though the museum’s focus is the Chinese  in America, Shanghai Glamour was all about the emergence of the modern woman in Shanghai, China.   After the end of the Opium War in 1842, the British victors were able to dictate the creation of “trade cities” in China.  These cities were made to tolerate a Western presence and were to allow trade with them.  Shanghai was one of the trade cities.  By the 20th century there were large British, American and French populations in the city.  It was an increasingly cosmopolitan place.

The exhibition shows how the women of Shanghai created their own distinctive style of dress, which was based on Chinese traditional dress but incorporated elements of the West.  The look was feminine, but modern.

In my top photo, on the right is a ensemble worn by a Shanghai courtesan in the 1910s.  The pants were cropped to expose a bit of leg, and the geometric pattern was a “foreign” element.  By that, I mean it was not traditionally Chinese.  Also the use of buttons on the jacket was a Western element.  That high collar was called a sycee collar.

The green dress is a 1920s dancing dress.  You can see the influence of 1920s Western dress, but the fitted bodice and high collar are uniquely Chinese.

These two dresses are both qipao, which some would call cheongsam.  The qipao came into being in Shanghai in the 1920s, and by the 1930s it was floor length and well established among the modern women of the city.  The qipao on the right is trimmed with metal-thread embroidery that used traditional Chinese motifs such as the dragon.  The dress on the left is made from a semi-sheer fabric, and would have been worn with a slip beneath.

The blouse and skirt on the right is typical of that of a Shanghai student of the early 1920s.  Picture this on a young woman with bobbed hair.

The qipao in the center of the photo dates from the 1930s, and shows a departure from the traditional cut of the sleeves in that the sleeves are set-in instead of being cut in one piece with the bodice.

The qipao on the left is from the early 1940s and is made from an embroidered silk.

The garment on the right is a 1920s  vest worn over a blouse.  Look carefully to see the art nouveau design of the textile.

The light colored qipao is made from devore velvet on a georgette foundation.

The purple qipao was the latest style in 1932.   What made it so fashionable was the decorative trim that was applied to all the borders.

In the 1940s the qipao returned to calf-length and the sleeves were generally longer.  The embroidery trim on the black qipao uses traditional symbols of prosperity and longevity.

The shoes worn by the Shanghai modern woman were the fashionable shoes of the West.  Foot binding was on its way out, having been outlawed in 1902.  These shoes are not Chinese, but are from the collection at FIT.  Photographs and drawings of the period show the women of Shanghai wearing similar styles.

The Chinese title of this magazine was Xinzhuang tekan, or New Dress Special Issue and it is dated June 1926.  In it are both qipao and styles that are more Westernized.  There does not seem to be any relation with the American or the French Vogue magazines.

The exhibition has more dresses, accessories and items in print, and gives a clear picture of how this modern woman emerged.

Shanghai Glamour is on display until November 3, 2013.  It really is a rare chance to see modern Chinese garments of this era in the US, as the majority of them are from the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou, China.

I’m sorry about the photo quality, but the room was dark in order to help protect the textiles.  Click to enlarge for a better view.

Front Row: Chinese American Designers at the Museum of Chinese in America

One of the highlights of my trip to New York was a visit to the Museum of Chinese in America.  My timing was perfect because they were staging two fashion exhibitions, this one and another on fashion in 1920 and 1930s Shanghai (more on that later).

One happy by-product of the on-going success of fashion exhibitions is that even museums that are not normally thought of as fashion museums are finding ways to feature fashion in accordance with the theme of their collection.  Could it be that people are finally beginning to see that fashion is an important cultural theme?  Let’s hope that is the case.

Front Row: Chinese American Designers showcases the work of sixteen designers who work in America and who are of Chinese heritage.  Some, like Vera Wang and Anna Sui, are quite well-known.  Others, like Jade Lai and Wayne Lee, were new to me.

 

These two outfits are from Anna Sui.  That cute dress is from her Pirate collection of 2007, and was a favorite of mine.  I’ve always admired Sui’s work, even though I’m not the type of person to actually wear her clothes.  The silver studded set is from 1994, and it made me wonder why Sui was not represented in the Punk show at the Met.

This ensemble is from the current collection of 3.1 Phillip Lam.  The coat is made of neoprene and leather.  How about those boot/sandals?

This gown is by Jason Wu, and there is plenty to love.  It’s blue, it’s made of tulle, it has spangly star sequins.  I’ve been in love with Wu’s work since seeing the dress he designed for Michelle Obama, and this did not disappoint.

Left to right:  Zero waste cape, Yeohlee, 2008.  Leather dress, Derek Lam, 2012.  Circle dress, Yeohlee, 2012.  Circle top, Yeohlee, 2012

Here’s a close-up of the Derek Lam dress.  Note the way the sleeves and bodice are cut and also the top-stitching.  The back of the dress is linen.

I’m so sorry about the quality of this photo, but I had to show this dress by Zang Toi from 1991.  It is actually a sweater, embroidered with Chinese folk motifs.  The yellow dress in the background is by Peter Som.

 

This ballgown is by Vera Wang, 2013.  I’m so glad this red dress was chosen for the exhibition, instead of one of her white wedding dresses.

Even if you can’t be in New York before this exhibition ends in September, this museum should be on the list of things to see for any visitor to the city.  Their permanent exhibition tells the story of Chinese immigration to the US.  It’s a fascinating, often tragic, story.

I also want to say how nice and helpful the staff was.  The young men at the reception desk steered me toward the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten.   They wrote directions to the restaurant and even told me what to order.   How nice was that?