Such challenging times
Yesterday, I actually struggled with honoring my tickets for the Chloe exhibit at New York City’s Jewish Museum.
In a world filled with hatred and insanity I questioned our safety going there.
Everything Jewish appears to be a target.
Friday I was midtown on the east side and there were armored tanks on Fifth Avenue.
We decided to not let anyone intimidate us so we walked the 3 miles to the museum.
At 11am there were literally two other people in the museum.
The Chloe exhibit was wonderful…so glad we did not take a hard pass.
We did a deep dive into the history of the House of Chloe.
In 1952 Gaby Aghion founded the fashion label Chloé in Paris. Her intention was to liberate women from the many constraints of couture design by creating stylish everyday garments she and women like her would want to wear and to cultivate the work of young designers.
This exhibition celebrates her daring vision and prolific legacy as she led the transition away from the dominance of haute couture to the emergence of prêt-à-porter, a phrase she is said to have coined.
This innovative approach to fashion combined sumptuous fabrics and meticulous craftsmanship with simple silhouettes that spoke to the needs and tastes of modern women.
Aghion named her company Chloe after her dear friend, Chloe Huisman, who personified femininity, style and grace.
Chloe has been led over the years by trendsetting designers Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Gabriela Hearst.
Take the tour:
The back story on Gaby Aghion (1921-2014) is fascinating.
She was born into a sophisticated French-speaking Egyptian Jewish family.
From an early age she moved in cultured and politically progressive circles. Coming to Paris after World War ll with her husband, Raymond Aghion, who she met in elementary school at the age of seven, she found her own label which was a remarkable achievement for a woman in postwar France.
At Chloe she established a lasting tradition of hiring emerging designers and the tradition continues to this day.
The Jewish Museum is a glorious location for the Chloe exhibit.
The museum is the former Felix Warburg mansion that was built between 1996-08 in the Chateauesque style by C.P.H. Gilbert.
Chateauesque is a Revivalist architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the châteaux of the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century.
Observing the home’s details such as the high ceilings, molding and overall craftsmanship are worth the visit
Some of the other museum highlights include:
Afterward, we strolled down Madison Avenue window shopping, walking an additional 4 miles trying to focus on being kind, lending a woman without her cell our phone, not getting agitated at all the people in Central Park practically running you over with their bikes or walking so close that they were nipping at your heels.
Kindness and patience were the words of the day.
Pass it forward.
