See You At The Fair!

Last week MOHAI opened an off-site exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of Seattle's 1962 World's Fair. The exhibit looks great and includes some dressed mannequins, so you should definitely check it out if you live in Seattle.

But most importantly, I looked amazing at the opening party.

I wore a bright pink vintage dress with black tights, and my roommate wore a contemporary bright yellow dress and black tights, and together we looked like a pair of highlighter markers.

But back to the fair. Seattleites are pretty proud of their '62 World's Fair, and with good reason. The theme was the future and space, which was exactly what everyone had on their mind at that time. Within a few years, 1960s fashion would be all about futuristic looks and blasting off for life on the moon. It was also one of the last financially successful World's Fairs in the 20th century, which is fun because it gives us the opportunity to feel superior to New York. New York held its own World's Fair in 64/65, and because of the close proximity of time, there was a bit of a rivalry between the planners. Both fairs were attended by millions and had lasting impacts, but New York's nearly ended in bankruptcy. Also, never ever believe anyone who says Belgian waffles were a product of the NY World's Fair. They were a popular hit there, but the American debut was in Seattle.

If you have 14 minutes and a passion for old phone technology, you should probably watch this video:


I assume everyone in the 60s was this excited and happy about everything. Extra exciting: Asian clothing, peep shows, DNA, and beepers.