The Big Bambú

The best part about the roof garden at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is that it's open to the sky. So imagine my surprise when I stepped off the elevator and was faced with a 100 foot long bamboo structure that blocked the sun! It looked like a cross between Kon-Tiki and a hippie Swiss Family Robinson habitat. My visit was at the end of May when I was at the Met to see the Picasso exhibit so I hadn't read yet anything about the summer installation which officially entitled Big Bambú: You Can't, You Don't, and You Won't Stop. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not but once I had a chance to walk through it and read more about it, I definitely came to appreciate this amazing art exhibition.

Twin brothers Doug and Mike Starn and a team of rock climbers will be constructing Big Bambú until October and you can watch them build it before your eyes. I witnessed one worker strip the bamboo poles of leaves and cut them for the other members tied them together with nylon rope. You can see in my photos that the team climb very high off the ground and dotted throughout the installation. If you are also dressed properly, meaning sneakers and shorts or pants, you can schedule a guided tour that takes you along the footpaths and bridges that weave through the structure. I, of course, was wearing sandals and a dress so I didn't not take advantage of this opportunity which quite frankly looked scary! I am sure it would be very exciting for children though. It will interesting to check in periodically throughout the summer and see how Big Bambú has evolved and even more so to see how it ends. And more importantly, I wonder how many months it will take them to clean up!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Met Ball Best Dressed

The Met Ball red carpet is actually better than the red carpet at the Oscars and I wish that the E! network would report live so we could see all the fabulosity unfold. Reading all the tweets was fun but definitely not the same! These are those that I deem best dressed including O and O above. That's Oscar de la Renta and Oprah Winfrey! Enjoy!

Patrick Robinson, creative director of the Gap who sponsored the event.

Sienna Miller in Emilio Pucci with the best accessory of the night, Jude Law

Zoe Saldana in Calvin Klein

Stella McCartney, Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson all in Stella McCartney

Claire Danes in Burberry

The ageless Demi Moore in Lanvin

Nicole Richie in Marc Jacobs

Anna Wintour in Chanel and her daughter Bee Shaffer in Balenciaga

Eva Mendes in Dolce & Gabbana

Camilla Belle in and with Jason Wu

Fabiola Beracasa and Rachel Roy

The always chic Tom Ford

Jessica Alba in Sophie Theallet for the Gap

Kate Bosworth in Valentino

Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior

Anne Hathaway in Valentino

Sarah Jessica Parker in Halston

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

Gwen Stefani in L.A.M.B with Gavin Rossdale

Tory Burch

Donna Karan

Taylor Swift in Ralph Lauren

Lady Gaga

Photos from Tommy Ton, Style.com and Vogue.com

A Fashionable Fete

Tonight is the social event of the season for the fashion flock. The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art annual gala know better as the Met Ball will support the new exhibit, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity. Makes sense that the Gap is the sponsor although I doubt many woman in attendance will actually be wearing anything from the Gap! Lady Gaga will be sitting with and wearing Prada which should be interesting! Vogue also plans the fete so you know everyone dresses to impress! More interesting are the decorations that are just as much of a show stopper as the ensembles. Past event planners David Monn and Robert Isabell created French gardens in the museum so it will be interesting to see how Raul Avilla will interpret the American theme. You can read some interesting behind the scenes stories in an old article from New York magazine. Also bigger than the decorations, is the question that is on everyone's mind, what will Oprah wear?! Be there or be square!