Perks...

By far, the most common visual I have been subjected to the past few weeks at work has been that of my dismantled computer, its guts spewing forth across my desk, whilst the IT guy rummages around inside it with a flashlight. To remedy a problem I've been having with my oft-crashing video editing software, we have installed two new hard drives, tried three separate means of connecting them to the computer, one of which had to have its own port installed in the computer. Yet still, my computer persisted in crashing as often as a dozen times a day. He finally uploaded a patch to the software this week (that took nearly two hours to download!) and things seem to have improved, but I'm not prepared to proclaim victory just yet. It's been frustrating, to say the least.

Ever wondered what the inside of your computer looks like?

Still, much as I have not been in love with my job this week, there has been something very special going on at the museum that almost makes up for all my trials and tribulations. Perhaps the greatest perk of working behind-the-scenes at a cultural institution is the ability to preview upcoming exhibitions before they open to the general public. Although the exhibit is not scheduled to open until May, this week the gowns for the upcoming "I Do" exhibit have been photographed for the exhibition catalog. "I Do" will tell the story of weddings in the Windy City, and while most of the photography has been occurring behind closed doors, from time to time I have been lucky to catch a glimpse of the dresses as I have passed by the studio. I can tell you right now, this exhibit is going to be spectacular!

Like many women, I am a sucker for weddings (although I don't actually like attending them very much, which probably has something to do with the forced public dancing), but I do love to watch television shows about them, i.e. A Wedding Story when I was growing up, or Say Yes To The Dress nowadays, and whenever one of my Facebook friends goes to a wedding and gets tagged in a photo, I always eagerly check out the other pictures of the gown and the decor, even if I don't know the couple in question. I think they appeal to my party-planning ways. Any exhibit that fuses my wedding voyeurism with my appreciation for vintage fashion is a winner in my book.

1927 Wedding gown by Lanvin.

Naturally, I don't have any photos from this week's photo shoot, but there are a smattering of pictures from the exhibit on Flickr. These dresses are serving as inspiration pieces for the museum's annual design contest, Fashion Next, which pits local fashion designers against one another to create a modern garment inspired by a selection from the museum's collection. Among the inspiration pieces, I think this one is my favorite. I love the beaded details, although the unusual placement of them here, coupled with the drape of the fabric almost gives the impression that the dress might be concealing a baby bump. My favorite part, however, is the heavily embellished train, which cascades from the shoulders.

Given the pieces on Flickr, and the preview I acquired throughout the past week, I definitely have high hopes for the "I Do" exhibit, and I'm sure this is not the last you'll be hearing from me on the topic...