their clothes are after such a pagan cut

My mom and I spent a very hot New York summer Monday treated to a special private tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's feature exhibition AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion. We were provided with this special treat by my ever-fabulous partner-in-all-things-cutting, ms. jessimae, who was one of the creators of its breathtaking displays. Needless to say, my mom and I were in heaven--a walk through the halls of the Met empty and echoing, plus an opportunity to hear all about the behind-the-scenes tales on a topic connected so closely to something dear to our hearts.

The exhibit offers a stunning conceptual continuum of English costumes, while it focuses on British fashion during the years of 1976 to the present, it uses 18th and 19th century works, juxtaposing them in a luscious mix of knowing historicism, postmodern irony, and self-conscious tradition. Each room is candy for the eye--with little touches you might miss if you don't have unlimited time and an unencumbered view (and the inside knowledge of your personal tour guide)--like the elaborate necklace with viles of semen (now changing colors as the years go by--ewww and neat). The clever placement of the modern and the classic truly speaks to how a culture can represent and shape itself through imagination. An unapologetic Anglophile myself, the love for all things English is nothing new, the whole of Europe found itself enamored with the small plot of land in the 18th century as it became the center of the Enlightenment and reason--and the fashion is an result of this intellectual expression. Plus, seeing the Alexander McQueen Union Jack jacket that he designed for David Bowie (and realizing how skinny the man is) is just plain cool.

Featuring works by such notable designers as McQueen, John Galliano, and Vivienne Westwood, the dresses, jewelry, and saavy pulls of art from the Met's archives, the exhibit is a wealth of audaciousness. If you haven't yet seen it, you have until September 4 (a great way to spend Labor Day weekend). But, if you can't make it, don't miss a listen to John Lydon's "God Save the Queen" podcast.