FASHION VIES FOR TOP BILLING IN MUSEUM VENUES (c) By Polly Guerin

Museums vie for top billing this week; major fashion exhibitions include Stephen Burrows’ at MCNY to Orientalism at Dahesh and the signature styles of iconic shoe creator, Roger Vivier at MFIT all destined to draw viewers in record numbers this week. Only in New York, my friends. The Best of New York. Here’s the scoop!!!

Dahesh Museum and Christie's New York

ENCOUNTERING THE ORIENT: Masterworks from the Dahesh Museum of Art, in a first-time partnership with Christie’s New York celebrates and explores how artists from Both Europe and America interpreted the culture and people of the Middle East and Africa during the 19th-century and offers a fresh approach to Orientalism as a complex, high contextual, cross-cultural encounter. There are three timely reasons the curator organized this exhibition now: the countries of North Africa and the Middle East are in the news daily to include people and cultures in the regime known as ‘the Orient,’ and second, the Orient still has a powerful hold on our imagination and third, the field of 19th- century art history is growing. The exhibition remains on view until April 15, 2013, at Christie's New York, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m with related programs at 20 Rockefeller Center. Gallery Talks at 2 pm on Friday: April 5 and 12, Saturday: April 6 and 13 and Sunday April 7 and 14. Info: daheshmuseum.org and christies.com.

STEPHEN BURROWS: When Fashion Danced. The Museum of the City of New York is dressed up to celebrate a new exhibition of Stephen Burrows, the first African-American fashion  designer to gain international stature and considered a pivotal player in New York’s glamorous nighttime social scene during the Studio 54 era. His exuberant clothes fringed, color-blocked with their trademark red zigzag stitching were worn by fashionistas and celebrities worldwide. Mr. Burrows acknowledges that the exhibition title is apropos because all of his work “is about movement.” The mannequins are all black and positioned in dramatic poses with elaborate headdresses and masks as accessories, while the retrospective plays up his disco-era rainbow-colored designs. Other Flashbacks include a documentary about the 1973 “Battle of Versailles” between French and American designers. Exhibit runs through July 28, 2013. MCNY between 103 and l04th Streets on Fifth Avenue.

ROGER VIVIER HOSTED AT FIT: The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology hosts ‘fashion conversation’ with Roger Vivier, Creative director Bruno Frisoni and Brand Ambassador Ines de la Fressange to talk with Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of MFIT, about the evolution since 2003 of the iconic Roger Vivier brand, from shoe icon to Parisian luxury brand. They will also discuss a new Roger Vivier book (Rizzoli) followed by a book signing. With innate Parisian style, Roger Vivier (1907-1998) elevated the design and embellishment of ladies footwear to high art during his 60-year career. Vivier’s legendary shoes, embodied artistry, wit and craftsmanship, and were coveted by movie stars and even Queen Elizabeth II, who wore Vivier shoes at her coronation in 1953. When: April 10, 6 pm. Where: FIT, Katie Murphy Amphitheater, Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street. FREE and open to the public.

Ta Ta Darlings!!! I can’t wait to see the Stephen Burrows exhibition at MCNY. Fan mail welcome at pollytalk@verizon.net. Polly’s Blogs are best accessed at her website pollytalk.com. Just click on the link in the left-hand column for visonarymen, womendeterminedtosucceed, poetry or fashion.