Exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art usually go beyond all expectations, and this event promises to be no different, with a collection that displays an incredible depth of research and stunning presentation of beauty.  

I was particularly interested in this show to gain the global perspective about the history of textile and have a better understanding of today’s sustainable fashion.    

“Interwoven Globe” is the first major exhibition to explore the international spread of design from the 16th to the early 19th century through the medium of textiles. Featuring 134 works, about two-thirds of which are drawn from the Metropolitan Museum’s own collection, the exhibits are augmented by important domestic and international loans in order to make worldwide visual connections.

The displays tell many stories about their time. For instance, we learn about the many trade routes around the world that developed around the time of the Renaissance and beyond. We also learn about the individual textile traditions of India, China, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and other countries around the globe.

What’s more, the exhibition shows how people once traded textiles as a way to learn exotic cultures and how textiles served as status symbols for their owners, advertising their worldliness and sophistication.  

I found it interesting to see the common theme about the exoticism in another great show that the Met organized in 2011 called “Savage Beauty“.  The exhibition celebrated the late Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion.  In this show, there was a major section dedicated to the “Romantic Exoticism” and McQueen explained “My work will be about taking elements of traditional embroidery, filigree, and craftsmanship from countries all over the world. I will explore their crafts, patterns, and materials and interpret them in my own way.”

One way to promote sustainable fashion is to connect the fashion business with artisans in the countries where marginalized people have a strong desire to change their lives.   I hope that these shows will educate both the fashion business and consumers and help embrace the beauty of artisan’s craftsmanship around the world. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10028-0198

September 16, 2013–January 5, 2014

Accompanied by a catalogue and an Audio Guide

More information: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2013/interwoven-globe