The Queen Sofia Spanish Institute  on Park Avenue is an intimate venue for these elegant examples of regional costume and the vibrant paintings of Joaquin Sorolla. (ends March 10th 2012)

These  meticulously crafted examples offer scores of  inspiration. Velvet, boiled wool, appliqued buckskin and boiled wool, ribbons, metallic embroidery, lace and ruffles assembled with a distinctively recognizable Spanish style.  Apparently the Spaniards spurned everything French as a result of Napoleon’s invasion and developed their own fashions known as traje majo a style drawn from the matador and gypsy.

My favorites were the huge corsages of fancy ribbons, the multi layered skirts black and white with a touch of red and then gold…and and of course the head gear.

Kudos to the lighting designer as well as everybody else involved in the creation of this great exhibit.

That would be Oscar de la Renta, chairman of the Institute and curator Andre Leon Talley.

These photographs were  scanned from the  book “Joaquin Sorolla& the Glory of Spanish Dress” edited by Molly Sorkin and Jennifer Park.

Manolete 1946