Power Breakfast in Milan

(MILAN) Wednesday morning had members of the international press gathered at the Teatro Manzoni for a press presentation and preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's upcoming exhibition "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy." On hand for the preview were Giorgio Armani, who is sponsoring this year's Costume Institute gala, as well as the museum's Harold Koda and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who will host the May 5 event in New York alongside Armani, Julia Roberts, and George Clooney.

After enjoying breakfast pastries, coffee, and juices, guests moved into the majestic theater for speeches, details, and a taste of the exhibit, complete with a sampling of four pieces displayed alongside images of their corresponding superheroes. Wintour and Koda spoke of how they came to Armani with the idea for this exhibition over a year ago when they attended the Armani Privé show in Paris. "This combines the worlds of fashion and fantasy," said Koda. And who is Koda's favorite superhero? "I like Spider-Man because he embodies an adolescent humor reflected in his character, and most of the time superheroes are earnest," the amiable curator replied, describing the setup of the space as being very "stark and state-of-the-art." And despite some somewhat awkward moments during the press conference that were surely lost in translation, Wintour nevertheless likened Armani to an Italian superhero. "It's the aspirational quality of what a superhero is," she added of the planned gallery.

The exhibit will consist of 60 ensembles including movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high performance sportswear to reveal how the superhero serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion and its ability to empower and transform the human body. The space will be realized by Nathan Crowley, the production designer of Batman Begins, who plans on introducing visual effects and mirrors with lights to create a 100-meter-walk of the superheroes, which will include such icons as The Flash, Iron Man, The Punisher, and Ghost Rider.

Among the looks on display at the conference were designs by Bernhard Willhelm, Christian Dior couture, Gareth Pugh, and even a Batman costume from the Warner Bros. movie The Dark Knight. Armani, meanwhile, saw a dress from his Spring 1990 collection on display as well--a garment that was meant to represent the black Spider-Man.

"Superheroes have never been more popular; I'm seeing a resurgence in such characters," said Koda, who admitted, "Batman, like the McDonald's logo, has become tarnished in recent years, but he still represents optimism."
NOLA WEINSTEIN