Brief Encounters with the Fashion Industry

New York - Day 3

What is it about travelling that makes it easier for me to function on less sleep than usual?

We got up early for another ambitious day. Shower situation? Maybe slightly better, but only because I was the first one in.

I really wanted breakfast so we decided on the diner on the corner of our block even though we'd already seen the unexciting menu and prices. (I say every diner should have $3 breakfasts.)

While Megan made a trip to the bank, Sue and I decided to grab a table. Who do I see when I walk through the doors? MISS J! My jaw literally dropped. I was totally gawking. Miss J, "runway coach extraordinaire" from America's Next Top Model was sitting inside this lackluster Midtown/Upper East Side diner having breakfast with a friend. What stunned me even more was when the staff decided to seat us at the booth right behind him! (It really wasn't busy in there.) I could make eye contact with him from my seat! I was so embarrassed for gawking that I tried to hide behind Sue while we decided what to order.

Shortly after Megan joined us, a girl walking by the diner came in and asked Miss J for an autograph. Still more people walked by giving him double-takes and sometimes actually backtracking to wave or stare. Finally, Sue convinced me I needed to ask him to take a photo.

First of all, I am incredibly shy. Secondly, I hate interrupting people when they're having a conversation. I waited 'til I thought Miss J and his friend (a blonde woman who looked familiar to me) were about finished with their meal and ready to leave before finally gathering enough courage to approach their table. It was still an awkward few (long) seconds before I finally opened my mouth to ask for a photo.

Miss J gave me this sideways glance in that diva-like/sarcastic way of his and asked, "Do you have a camera?" When I produced one, he got up (very gracefully) and I lamented (maybe more like squeaked) about how he was so incredibly tall that I would look ridiculous next to him. (I was hoping he'd just stay seated for the photo.) Megan took two photos for me and I can't say I look great in either, but Miss J totally posed for the camera - and with a genuine smile.

Due to the celebrity encounter so early in the day, I can't even remember what I'd ordered for breakfast. All I know is that Sue and I both got meals that involved a coffee or tea plus a tiny glass - filled to the brim! - of juice. We also laughed at the sights outside the diner: a parked advertising truck with a marriage proposal message on it. I understand the sentiment, though I can't help screaming CHEESE-Y! (I would never want to be proposed to in that way, but maybe I'm being overly judgmental because the message was really poorly designed and not nearly flamboyant enough for something that's supposed to be attention-grabbing. Go big or go home!)

After breakfast, we headed to the Guggenheim. It was a lot busier along 5th Avenue than I'd expected (or remembered from our previous trip) so it wasn't easy getting a good shot of the exterior of the Gugg. Last time Megan and I were there, the exterior was being renovated so we didn't even get to see the iconic building from the outside!

Buying the City Pass was definitely a good idea. Not only do you save money on admission tickets, you also get to bypass a lot of lineups! (Almost like being a VIP. Haha)

As soon as we entered the museum, we noticed a couple embracing. (AWKWARD!) As we unbuttoned and unzipped our winter coats, I couldn't help but mutter, Um, seriously? Get a room? There were plenty of people hanging around the "lobby" (?) and many were staring or trying not to stare at the couple. As their embrace got more... heated, I finally realised this was a performance piece. Sure enough, listed inside the program was performance art. The couple, fully clothed, continued to stare at each other longingly/grope one another slowly, eventually finding themselves squirming around on the floor. I never witnessed the end of the "piece" (nor did I want to) but we noticed later on that a new couple was doing the same thing. ...Wow.

One thing I did "wrong" the first time I visited the Gugg was to walk up the museum from the lobby (let's just call it the lobby because I can't think of a better word at the moment). I didn't realise that it was meant to be enjoyed (?) from the top down. So, take the elevator (yes, it's slow) all the way to the top floor, then make your descent.

Typically, art is hung along the slightly concaved walls of the Gugg, with smaller rooms showcasing supplementary exhibitions. On this particular visit, there were absolutely no pieces on display on any of the concaved walls. Believe it or not, these blank walls was a curated exhibition. The blank walls as well as hundreds of submissions from artists around the world showcased in a few of the side rooms, was all part of "Contemplating the Void", an exhibition to commemorate the Guggenheim's 50th anniversary. The artists (architects and designers) were invited to re-imagine the iconic rotunda of the Guggenheim. I wasn't impressed with most of the submissions to be honest (one was a giant labia; yeah, you read that correctly).

A lot of the Guggenheim's permanent collection was on touring exhibitions when we visited, but we did get to see an amazing selection of French/modernist paintings (Picasso, Braque and Chagall amongst others).

My absolute favourite exhibition was by Anish Kapoor entitled "Memory". We actually viewed it in the incorrect order, but I'd say the effect was still as haunting as it was meant to be. I won't spoil it but if you get the chance to see it in person, please do. I'm usually not a huge fan of modern art simply because it tries to be way more than it actually is, but this was extremely well done.

No trip to the Gugg is complete (well, any museum really) without a stop at the gift shop. The thing I love most about modern art museums like the Gugg is the chances of seeing really chintzy and cheesy souvenirs are usually very slim. (Chintz and cheese are fine though in public and flea markets, and vintage stores!) I definitely overspent at the gift shop this time as they had the Frank Lloyd Wright Lego sets on sale. I couldn't resist the Lego version of the Guggenheim! I also walked away with a coffee mug inspired by the museum's rotunda design.

While on the plane from Minneapolis to Newark, I'd read on the in-flight magazine that Cooper-Hewitt was having a Rodarte exhibition. Glee! I'm so happy to be travelling with two fashion lovers! We all agreed that skipping over to the Cooper-Hewitt after the Gugg was a must!

The Cooper-Hewitt is an amazing old mansion. I love the juxtaposition of contemporary design against a building that was designed and built in the Victorian era. If you are a designer - anything from textile to graphic to industrial - make sure you pay the Cooper-Hewitt a visit. Aside from the extremely well-curated exhibitions, their gift shop has a large collection of design books. As an aside, I also quite liked their tiny cafe. I can imagine how beautiful it'd be during the spring.

Back to Rodarte: the top floor was where the Rodarte exhibition was housed and though we couldn't take photos nor get too close to the clothes, being able to see the intricacies of the Mulleavy sisters' designs in person is just breathtaking. Assorted pieces from different collections (the dresses!) were on display as well as the shoe collaborations with Christian Louboutin and Nicholas Kirkwood. STUNNING.

After our museum jaunts, we headed back to the subway, but not without stops inside H&M and Sephora first! Across the street from our apartment are a series of little shops including a Pylones. I'll let their website speak for themselves.

For dinner, we headed to an Italian place within walking distance from our apartment: thin-sliced pizza with fresh ingredients done right! The pasta was also delicious and the desserts were to die for.

No mind-numbing television for us tonight! We decided the lack of snow meant it was the perfect night to go the Empire State Building. I figured going at night would work out better in order to avoid smog and bad viewing conditions. Besides, who hasn't marveled at pictures of NYC with all the cities' lights all lit up at night?

Yes, it was extremely cold out at the top of the Empire State. It was actually so windy that I couldn't steady my camera for more than a handful of good shots. At first I figured my hands were just shaky, but eventually I realised that the structures I was placing my camera on were not still: the building was swaying a little. Was the blistering cold worth it? YOU BET!

We left the Empire State building quite late into the night and had to traverse through Koreatown to get back to the subway. It was... kind of sketchy. There were lots of licensed restaurants and karaoke bars still open and we had to side-step some drunken guys trying to hit on some Asian girls.

On the subway platform, we could hear rats squeaking and Sue actually saw one run across. It was there that we decided we could form a band called the 6 Train and our backing vocals could be the sound of rats squeaking. (Late night creativity at its best.)