An Inspirational Outing

I'd seen several ads for a special exhibit at the George W. Bush Presidential Center and thought it would make a great inspiration outing, so last Tuesday morning I headed into Dallas to check it out.

The exhibit showcased designs by Oscar de la Renta over the past five decades. Since I had arrived early, there was plenty of time to read all the signs and take lots of photos. The exhibit began with a welcome video from former First Lady Laura Bush and  a display with two of her outfits designed by Mr. de la Renta. I enjoyed seeing the photos that accompanied the displays and was reminded of the exhibit of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's outfits during the presidential years that I saw in New York years ago (but that's a story for another day).

There was a nice variety of designs and various quotes from Oscar de la Renta about what inspires him throughout the exhibit.

The thing I appreciated most about seeing these outfits in person was noting all the detailing and texture on each one. I think when we only view these creations on TV, these niceties are often hard to see.

I doubt I'll be inspired to begin designing and creating my own clothes, however I think lots of the color and texture combinations would make great scrapbook papers!

It was also interesting to see a few of the original sketches with pieces of sample materials attached.

However, my favorite part of the exhibit was the room that showcased outfits worn by three former First Ladies - Laura Bush,

Hillary Clinton,

and Nancy Reagan (who's worn Oscar de la Renta creations since the 1960s).

I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit and came away with the feeling that Mr. de la Renta has spent his life doing something he not only excels at but that he also truly enjoys.

I was definitely inspired to get back into my craft room after this outing and completed several layouts last week, including this digital two page spread about the exhibit.