A cold, rainy Saturday morning in Minneapolis before a wedding could have been wasted watching tv in bed or spent in the gym. Instead, Mr. Real Life Style allowed me to drag him (in full view of his incredulous friends) to the American Swedish Institute. See blog from last week on the fabulously interesting yet affordable jewelry we discovered at the museum!
.
The Weather Diaries, Nordic Fashion Biennale by Cooper & Gorfer from Gestalten on Vimeo.
.
We blindly purchased tickets then asked the super friendly woman at the desk where the best place would be to start in the museum. I still thought I was there to see a Swedish mansion and furniture. First thing she says is, “Well, we have a special exhibit on Nordic Fashion right now.” High-five! Seriously. I was such an excited fashion dork that I high-fived Mr. Real Life Style in front of this cool millennial girl. The exhibit began with a walk into a modern room with the scene below and another room playing the video above. Eureka! Mr. Real Life Style was watching me with amusement while checking Twitter on his phone during this part.
.
.
We then entered the old mansion part of the museum where the rest of the exhibit was on display. How cool are the bones in something like volcanic rock displayed on the dining table of a room carved on-site? For some reason, this fact just blew me away.
.
.
Did you know that the beaded collar is such a tradition in Greenland that people freaked out when a fashion designer dared to alter it for fashion? Iceland is such a trendy destination right now. However, after seeing the art created in the isolation of the greater area of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, I’m dying to do a tour of the entire area. The exhibit continued with stunning photos throughout the century-old Swedish mansion.
.
.
In case you are wondering how I found out about this gem of a museum, it was not Google or Yelp. I headed back to the hotel before Mr. Real Life Style on Friday night (surprise!) and paged through the local magazines in the hotel room. Sometimes it pays to be anti-social.
Keep scrolling to see some of my favorite pieces and more information on the exhibit from the ASI website.
.
.
A stunning exhibition of photographic artworks by Cooper & Gorfer linked with one-of-a-kind installations, The Weather Diaries explores the roots of West Nordic fashion and the inescapable impact of nature and weather in developing a centuries-deep cultural identity in Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
.
.
Cooper & Garfor’s painting-like photographs, created on assignment from exhibition producer The Nordic House, are constructed with advanced collage techniques drawing from work by gifted West Nordic artists/designers including STEiNUNN, Barbara I Gongini, Kría, Nikolaj Kristensen, GUĐRUN & GUĐRUN, Bibi Chemnitz, Jessie Kleemann, Mundi and JÖR by Guðmundur Jörundsson. The installations include a 55-pound beaded collar, knitted garments, tulle and feathers, bone fragments and life-sized mannequins in tailored suits. The Weather Diaries Film, an alluring documentary filmed on location, gives voice to the designers.
.
This compelling exhibition was produced by The Nordic House in Reykjavik.
.
.
Lani Inlander is a personal stylist who has been working with clients who want to feel their best and look put-together every day for over 15 years. You can find her in the Washington, D.C. and New York metropolitan areas. Are you looking for professional training to be a personal stylist? Click here to learn how you can train with Lani at The Stylist Studio.
You can find Lani Inlander and Real Life Style on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
