We’re seeing some interesting themes in terms of options for exploring the city this fall. They’re chance occurrences, but it’s fun for us to connect the dots so you can do the same for your crew. With plenty of inspiration for Family Movie Nights (i.e. great films referenced) and some excellent shopping experiences (can you say Hello Kitty?), it’s going to be a busy autumn.
Trend ONE: A Love of Japan
The BIG news is LACMA’s Samurai show that opens on October 19. Samurai: Japanese Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection which will be a must-see for middle school kids this fall, so get a play date arranged and collect some tickets now. And, get started on finding a copy of Seven Samurai (considered the best film about the samurai) for a movie night extraordinaire.
A gorgeous collection of modern kimonos is on display at LACMA right now (in the Pavilion for Japanese Art which has a very cool Guggenheim-like ramp design that kids adore). While you’re in the building, take a peek at the museum’s extensive collection of Netsuke (above) on the first floor of the Pavilion.
The Japanese American National Museum has a Hello Kitty exhibit opening on October 11. Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty exults in the 40th anniversary of the iconic (if ubiquitous) icon; the show includes over 500 Hello Kitty artifacts and 40 contemporary works of art inspired by this marketing whirlwind. (Ticketing required for entry).
Remember – Hello Kitty’s motto is: “You can never have too many friends”
You may not realize it, but Hello Kitty is so big that there will be a Hello Kitty Con at MOCA’s Geffen Campus from October 30 – November 2. The cat is so big that even uber-cool chef, Roy Choi has gotten into the kitty spirit – theming meals and decor at his restaurant Pot in Koreatown’s The Line Hotel. True Sanrio enthusiasts can book a Hello Kitty room package at The Line Hotel. Read more here.
Shoppers Bonus: Uniqlo, the Japanese version of the Gap, opens in Glendale, Beverly Center, South Coast Plaza and in a pop-up at Santa Monica Place this fall. And, we love love love the elegant design of Japanese goods at Muji – which is open in Hollywood and now in Santa Monica, too.
Trend TWO: Textiles Out Front
The first major show to be launched by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is Hollywood Costume, open from October 2, 2104 – March 2, 2015. On display in the May Company building, next to LACMA and where their proposed mega-movie museum will soon be built, the show will feature iconic costumes from everyone’s favorite movies. Think beyond the ruby red slippers (they WILL be there, though) to Julia Robert’s red dress from Pretty Woman; not just Harrison Ford’s costume from Star Wars but Jamie Foxx’s Django duds, to boot. It’s a good excuse to see some favorite films again (Superman, Titanic, Mary Poppins), but to explain to kids about the behind-the-scenes work that takes place the movie that appears on screen. 61 of the films represented won Oscars, and 22 of the films represented won an Academy Award for Costume Design.
The show came from the Victoria and Albert in London, and here is their interesting (British) blurb on the show. Timed Entry Tickets Required!
Two other notable textile shows are in town now, if threads are your thing. The Fowler has three different shows relating to unusual textile design and their intimate galleries are easy to visit with kids. The small structure on the UCLA campus has an inner courtyard that kids can wander in and out, and a fun gift shop with items from around the globe. The shows, which are open until the end of the year are: Bearing Witness: Embroidery as History in Post-Apartheid South Africa, Textiles of Timor, Island in the Woven Sea and Yards of Style: African Print-Cloths of Ghana.
More fabric innovation is on display through January 2015 at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, at New Directions: A Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Textiles
Academy photos by Richard Harbaugh, AMPAS
