Katherine at The Met

God Bless

Hello Friends and Family! I hope you all are well. I’ve been doing pretty well. I went home the other weekend and was able to remember who I am, while at the mall visiting Kendra Scott and Nordstrom. There is something that makes me feel so myself when I go shopping and am dressed well, and I’m glad I got to rediscover that because I love fashion Katherine and often forget about her in rural Fort Collins. I also got to go birdwatching and watch trashy tv with my parents. I know it’s been taking me some time to turn out these blogs, but that’s okay. I’d like to say hello to any new readers as well, however I doubt there are any of you. But, if there are hi I’m Katherine Darcy! 

Anyways, fashion’s biggest night, The Met Gala, took place early two months ago in September! To celebrate the event and opening of the new exhibit I curated looks that I’d wear! The theme for the night was ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.’ As people usually are, I was confused about what the theme entailed. So, in hope of a better understanding I looked it up! I discovered that ‘lexicon’ means the vocabulary of a person, so essentially the theme was the vocabulary of America. However, America is land and not a country as it contains both North and South America, so this theme offered lots of freedom to honor many cultures and countries.

At this gala I found myself interested in why the designers chose to create what they did. I enjoyed Timothee Chalamet’s ensemble by Haider Ackerman as inspiration was taken from the American juxtaposition of casual and luxury. I also liked Pete Davidson’s outfit as his accessories paid tribute to his father and because I admire Pete. I think the best dressed was Quannah Chasinghorse, a Native American model, who wore Native American jewelry and paid tribute to her culture and ancestors. She’s really fascinating if you read about her. Anyways, my looks are as follows:

Manifest Destiny

I began planning this outfit during the summer and was inspired by the 'American Progress’ painting by John Gast for this look. This painting depicts manifest destiny, the idea that it was the white man's plight to “civilize” the land and people that made up the American west. In hindsight, manifest destiny was not the best idea, but due to the forced sacrifice Indians have made, our country, and ourselves live in the current privilege that we do.

So, with Manifest Destiny being integral to the makeup of the United States I decided this look would acknowledge this infamous idea. The look is made up of an off white Spring 2019 Christian Dior haute couture gown that I found for sale on 1stDibs. The dress has an attached skirt and it even has pockets! If you think about this dress as the United States it portrays a glorious pure image, but when you look closer the off white color and frayed edges are able to capture the less than clean history of our country and manifest destiny. The frayed edges can also be seen as representative of the sacrifices made by people, citizen or not, forced or voluntarily, that have benefited the country, but are too often left on the frayed ends of society. However, the dress is white as we do have glorious rights and moments in our nation and it’s history.

I paired the gown with a pair of wrap around Rene Caovilla sandals as I wanted something minimal, but could still be acknowledged if you decide to take off the skirt. Since this gown has so much drama I didn’t think many accessories needed to be added, aside from a tiara to mimic the woman in the painting. I found this tiara somewhere online, but I’m not gonna bother going back to find it. Anyways I like this look as I think it fits the theme and reflects the United States now and historically.

The Pink Chanel Suit

What is American fashion without Jackie Kennedy’s iconic pink Chanel suit?! For this look I'm inspired by Jackie and the feeling of a cool American summer. I wanted to pair a bikini top with a skirt suit thinking this was such an original idea, but then I remembered the Chanel Resort 2021 campaign that featured Lily-Rose Depp wearing a raspberry pink Chanel suit with a bikini underneath. However, I still decided to go for it! 

In my research I discovered that Jackie’s iconic suit wasn’t a creation of Gabrielle Chanel, but instead by the American, Chez Ninon. Ninon would purchase the rights to the haute couture looks from a fashion haus and recreate the look with the same elements with a machine as opposed to by hand, as is tradition with haute couture. This would allow Americans to wear the latest European fashion without the expensive flights to France for fittings and without the haute couture price tag. It also benefited the American economy as clients were buying American made items. If you want to read more about Chez Ninon, you can with this article. I recommend you read it, I learned a lot. 

Anyways, I began looking for the perfect Chanel skirt suit and decided on the raspberry Resort 2021 skirt suit as it’s the perfect shade of pink to honor Jackie. I wanted the accents of my outfit to continue to honor Jackie, but with an American coolness to it. Underneath the jacket I’d wear a navy blue Chanel bikini top or bra. Ideally, the material would be tweed or denim. I do like how this bikini top has a tulle Camelia flower in the center. I’d also wear navy blue tweed or denim Chanel sandals like the ones I added in the collage. The navy accents are of course reminiscent of the navy collar she had on. I’d also like to pin multiple white Chanel Camelia brooches to the jacket as an ode to the roses she held that day. I like how this ensemble is able to honor Jackie and even her husband, Jack, as he enjoyed how she looked in the Chanel style and her skirt suit would be the last outfit he’d ever see her in. I think I added wonderful additions to the skirt suit in order to honor them and the coolness of my favorite verb ‘summer.’

Last American Cowboy

My last outfit is an homage to the history and lifestyles of my family, both my mom’s (pronoucned Yed-i- key) and my dad’s.

For this look I would wear a chambray shirt, ideally buttoned all the way up as was the style in the 1800’s. I’d pair the top with a full length skirt. The skirt would be made either of shearling, as an ode to the woolies Rocky Mountain cowboys wore, or mink as an ode to my great grandmother and her mink jacket that has been passed down through the family. The skirt in the collage is actually a shearling rug since I couldn’t find a shearling skirt. As for my accessories I’d wear simple pointed toe leather cowboy boots and my pearl strand given to me as a baby. My hair would be stick straight to bring a modern edge to the ensemble. Finally, I’d like to ride in on a white horse, a mode of transportation that combines cowboy culture and my mother’s youth.

I used the experiences and culture of my ancestors to create this look. I'm sure I'm romanticizing their lives though. I named this look after my grandfather and my idea that he was "The Last American Cowboy." The more western elements of my outfit reflect my dad’s side of my family. The mink and pearls reflect my mom’s side of my family I like this outfit.

Anyways, thank you for reading! God Bless!