Hello, everyone!  I must tell you about the marvelous time that I had earlier this week, as I had the pleasure of seeing Yayoi Kusama’s exhibit at the Whitney.  Chronicling the brilliant works of the multi-talented Japanese pop artist, it was thrilling to see some of the finest art that I had seen in a while.  As someone who makes it her business to indulge in some culture once a week, I knew that I had to take a look at the hottest exhibit in the country right now.  So I, along with Sevaria -my good friend and hairdresser from the Harold Melvin salon – decided to spend the day to feast our eyes on this fantastic exhibit.

We decided to dress in full regalia that day with me deciding to pay tribute to the lady of the hour, Kusama, by wearing a bold black and white polka dot outfit.  As she well known for her creative depiction of polka dot patterns in her pieces, I thought that it was a great idea to don one of Off Broadway Boutique’s exclusive studio creations.  Although we haven’t made my polka dot outfit in years, we will definitely be resurrecting it for our upcoming collection following the overwhelmingly positive reaction by passerby.  It was especially flattering to have some people photograph my outfit while others complimented me for matching the polka dot display windows.

Prior to our visit to the Whitney, Sevaria and I had a lovely lunch on Bergdorf Goodman’s lower level.  As we caught up on the happenings in our lives, I noted that the Louis Vuitton boutique was across the street from the department store.  Recognizing that Kusama collaborated with the famous luxury brand for her exhibit, I remarked to Sevaria that we were in for such a treat.  After finishing our lunch, we took the bus to a brilliantly black and white polka dot painted version of the Whitney.  Passing by a red statue of Kusama as we went inside, we were quickly transported into the world of the artistic legend.

A presentation of her entire career in diverse media such as film, installation art, performance art, drawing, sculpture, and painting, it encapsulated her rise into avant-garde art movement as she was an innovative force in challenging the assumptions of what contemporary art is supposed to be.  Sevaria and I were especially pleased to see these pieces up close, as it represented the dedication and creativity that this artistic wonder put into her work.  Even more fascinating was the back story behind it all, as we learned that Kusama checked herself and still lives in an institution so that she could remain completely dedicated to creating this great art.  As we looked at every piece of hers, we saw every experience of her life in them while noticing the influence of the legendary artists that she knew – such as Georgia O’Keefe and Mark Rothko – on her work.  Needless to say, we were very inspired to see this 83-years-young red-wigged living legend continue to challenge artistic conventions throughout this exhibit.

After leaving the Whitney, Sevaria met a lovely young lady named Phyllis, who loved our sartorial homage to Yayoi Kusama.  Revealing herself to be an employee at the museum, Phyllis mentioned their upcoming grand reopening on the High Line near the Strand Hotel.  After immediately accepting the invitation to its future home, we were told that the Whitney carried and sold out of Ari Seth Cohen’s best-selling book, Advanced Style, twice!  Since I hadn’t even known that it was being sold at the museum, hearing that the book was doing so well was a feather in the cap of a wonderful day!  What’s more; we made a new friend at the Whitney – a friend that we hope to see more of when we possibly attend the grand reopening party of one of the world’s best museums.