Sneak Peek: The Met's Upcoming Schiaparelli and Prada Exhibit

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More details and a handful of photos have emerged from the MET's upcoming Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibition, with one of those details being that the exhibit will be a very literal interpretation of the word conversation. The Cut reports via a press release from the MET that the show will center around seven different topics that both Miuccia Prada and the late Elsa Schiaparelli incorporated into their work.

For example: "'Ugly Chic' will reveal how both women subvert ideals of beauty and glamour by playing with good and bad taste through color, prints, and textiles." Another category, "Waist Up/Waist Down," will look at Schiaparelli's above-the-waist restaurant dressing and Prada's focus on what's below the waist (there will also be a subsection called "Neck Up/Knees Down" that will look at Schiaparelli's hats and Prada's footwear). The other categories are: "The Classical Body," "The Exotic Body," "The Surreal Body," "Hard Chic," and "Naïf Chic."

An earlier report from WWD somewhat insinuated that Miuccia wasn't exactly thrilled about the dual exhibit, though Prada later confirmed that her quotes were taken out of context. Miuccia had argued that the format of the show was "too formal," and that "they are focused on similarities, comparing feather with feather, ethnic with ethnic..." Now that more of the show's structure has emerged, however, one could argue that the set-up of the dialogues does feel pretty controlled, if not overly so. Or, maybe we're just comparing it to the McQueen extravaganza that seemed slightly more accessible to the average museum goer, whether or not they had any extensive knowledge of what Naïf Chic means.

For a look at what outfits pertain to what conversations, head to The Cut's slideshow.
· The Met's Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations Exhibit [The Cut]
· Miuccia Prada Not Thrilled About Sharing the MET Spotlight [Racked NY]
· Next Met Costume Show: Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada [Racked NY]