By Julia DiNardo
In New York City alone, several fashion-related exhibits are happening right now, including Matthew Weiner's Mad Men at the Museum of the Moving Image, Björk at MOMA, Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin at the Museum of Art and Design, Faking It: Originals, Copies & Counterfeits and Lauren Bacall, The Look at the Museum at FIT, and the much-anticipated, China: Through the Looking Glass opens at The Met in May.
As fashion bloggers, especially if you happen to be in NYC, it's a gold mine of inspiration. The question is how to present what you experienced. You want to make sure the content doesn't feel out of left field. And it should seem relevant and complementary to the other categories that you've written about. Below are some suggestions that may help it fit seamlessly into your blog's content:
Duplicate a Look
You can literally recreate a look that you found iconic or striking from the exhibit on your blog. Especially if you do personal style, this may prove to be a fun opportunity for some additional research and trying your hand at hair and makeup of the era.
Use it as Abstract Inspiration
Derive some vein of inspiration from the exhibit, and present it in a totally original way. It doesn't have to be a direct example of what you saw. But what are the unique, interesting things that you do on your blog that others don't? Do you incorporate music? Make original illustrations? Do really cool trend wrap-ups and collages? Take that, and apply the theme of the exhibit, and voila! You've got something really special on your blog that combines both. One of my favorite examples of this is when Wall Street Journal reporter (and florist) Lindsey Taylor creates a floral arrangement inspired by a famous painting. It's unexpected, creative, and attention-getting, for sure!
Write a Wrap-Up/Review
You can always do a straightforward review. Critique it, add your opinion, accentuate the highlights and the major takeaways. Heck, you can even say what you may have disliked about it! After all, readers land on your blog and stay there, for your opinion. Another option would be to take each of the show's themes or motifs, usually divided by room at the exhibit, and make a visual mood board or collage on your blog explaining them from a visual and written perspective. There's no reason why anything in your blog's content needs to be a cut and dry standard approach.
Recommend Other Ways to Experience It
Our readerships are most likely from all over the world, so there's a relatively small chance that the majority of them can check out the exhibit themselves. Also, some live in small towns or rural places where which half a dozen fashion-related museum exhibits in one month is a dream. Even for those of us who are able to attend the exhibit, there's always one component that's missing: we can never touch the pieces!
Still, that doesn't mean that you and your readers have to sit out on this one. Contact the publicist for the museum and request images to share with your readers, or search for and include a link to a behind-the-scenes video of creating the exhibit, or if it's on a particular designer, link to an interview, a biopic, or books written about him/her. If it's a period piece, like The Met's most recent “Death Becomes Her” exhibit of mourning dress from 1815-1915, reach out to a costume historian or an owner of a vintage shop well-versed in the subject. There's always an opportunity to think outside the box, and your readers will appreciate you all the more for it.
Do you have any recommendations on how to share a museum exhibit experience on the blog?
[Image via FIT]
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