Museum at FIT

01/12/2023

From fashion runways, fine art photography to period cookbooks, “Food & Fashion” examines the influence of food culture through the lens of fashion over the last 250 years! Deliciously illustrated with contributions by Valerie Steele, Fabio Parasecoli and Patricia Mears.

Want a slice of this book? Its available for purchase today via Bloomsbury Publishing USA

This publication is a companion to The Museum at FIT exhibition of the same name that opens in September 2023. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/index.php

01/11/2023

Jeanne Lanvin was one of the greatest couturieres of the 20th century. Best known for her romantic, exquisitely embellished dresses, Lanvin commissioned an equally beautiful private home. Designed by Albert Armand Rateau and filled with objects by designers such as Jean Dunand, her bedroom is on view in the Louvre’s Musée des Art Decoratifs. It is covered in a rich, blue silk inspired by the cobalt glass from French medieval cathedrals and appropriately called “Lanvin blue.”

“Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors” is on view through May 14, 2023 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/designing-women.php

Jeanne Lanvin evening dress, pale blue silk taffeta and tulle, France, winter 1928, museum purchase

01/10/2023

The 33 Best Books Fashion People Read in 2022

Looking for the best fashion books 2022 had to offer? Fashion leaders and experts like MFIT Director Valerie Steele and Business of Fashion Senior Correspondent Sheena Butler-Young reflected on their reading in 2022.

https://fashionista.com/2022/12/best-fashion-books-2022

Editors, curators and designers spill on the pages that had their attention this year.

01/10/2023

with Shara Mchayle, who was VP of Sales & Marketing at the clothing company PNB Nation in the ‘90s. Fast forward to 2019, she and her daughter Jade Everett launched an e-commerce platform H88p Dreams that specializes in elevated hoop earring styles. Mchayle contextualizes the history of hoop earrings in hip hop and why they are an identifier of power for women. Learn this history and more at our upcoming exhibition “Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style” opening February 8, 2023.

https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/hip-hop-style.php

01/06/2023

I'm a Fashion Archivist—These 7 Trends Are Officially Back, and Here's Why

Let Me Ask You a Question // Fashion and history have always been intertwined, and no one knows that more than fashion archivist and FIT alumna Julie Ann Clauss. Here she describes the archival process and explains why it is important.

https://www.whowhatwear.com/fashion-archivist-interview/slide4

We spoke with the founder of The Wardrobe about the importance of fashion archives and which 2022 fashion trends are from previous fashion eras.

01/05/2023

Happy National Bird Day! 🐦🐤🐧🐔🕊🦃🦚🦜🦢
, observed every year on January 5th, is a day to celebrate and raise awareness about the birds we love. Decorative handles on parasols were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries This one features a charming duck’s head carved in pink agate.

Taffeta and agate parasol, c. 1910, England, gift of Fernanda Munn Kellogg

01/04/2023

Carolyne Roehm is a renowned decorator and hostess whose work has been featured in numerous shelter magazines and books. Yet before moving into these fields, Roehm was a leading fashion designer in New York. A protégée of Oscar de la Renta, she created clothes that were perfectly suited for the bourgeoning group of well-to-do women who dominated New York society during the 1980s and 1990s.

“Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors” is on view through May 14, 2023 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/designing-women.php

Carolyne Roehm, evening dress and matching cape, gold synthetic netting, metallic and synthetic lace, 1990, USA, gift of Carolyne Roehm

01/03/2023

Over the last half century, hip hop has taken over the world. The genre’s artists and fans transformed and popularized streetwear, athleisure, and logo-mania, to name only a few significant and enduring fashion movements. Mark your calendars for Feb. 8, 2023 when “Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style” opens at The Museum at FIT. Image courtesy of Jamel Shabazz.

https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/hip-hop-style.php

01/01/2023

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!

12/30/2022

This is a weekend to dress to the nines! What will you be wearing?

Fontana, cocktail dress, silk taffeta, raffia and net, c.1957, Italy, gift of Mrs. Barbara Halpern

Cucci, man's tuxedo, navy blue and black slubbed silk, black and navy blue satin, 1957, Italy, gift of Elizabeth E. Brady

12/29/2022

Heartbreaking to hear of Vivienne Westwood’s passing. 💔💔 Our thoughts go to her family and friends. 💞 The company’s statement includes a quote by the designer, who considered herself a Taoist.

She wrote, “Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you’re living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth.“

12/29/2022

French born Lilly Daché was one of the most successful milliners in American fashion history. Her hats ranged from witty and irreverent to sleek and sophisticated. Daché’s success was manifest in the beautifully designed Manhattan townhouse in which she lived and worked.

“Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors” is on view through May 14, 2023 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/designing-women.php

Lily Daché, gold silk velvet turban, with Phil Macdonald, gold silk jersey evening dress. Both c. 1944, USA, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Byron S. Miller, Jr. and Gail Hart Miller in memory of their mother, Florence Hart Miller

12/28/2022

Happy Birthday Lamine Kouyaté!
Born in 1962, designer Lamine Kouyaté of Xuly.Bët has been using the street as both inspiration and performance space. In 2015, he staged a guerrilla show in New York. Kouyaté utilizes the subversive street setting to counterbalance his commercial success, separating his defiantly attention-grabbing designs from the fashion establishment.

Visit our Online Collections to learn more about fashion designers and fashion history. http://fashionmuseum.fitnyc.edu/

XULY.Bët ensemble, cotton, faux fur, and faux reptile, fall 2016, France, gift of Xuly-Bet

12/27/2022

Do you need some eye candy? These are the final days to visit “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” in person. The exhibition closes Saturday, December 31, at 5pm.

https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/shoes-2022/index.php

12/26/2022

Advancements in footwear manufacturing during the 1930s resulted in more innovative styles. This design would have offered a provocative glimpse of the wearer’s toes, even beneath the long hemlines of 1930s evening gowns.

Frank Brothers shoe, silk brocade and gold metallic leather, c. 1932, USA, gift of Maria Burgaleta-Larson

On view in “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” closes December 31, 2022 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/shoes-2022/index.php

12/23/2022

Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic exhibition conversation

“Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” is the latest shoe exhibition organized by Dr. Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill. In this video conversation, Dr. Steele asks Hill, “So, what do we have left to say about shoes?”

As the curators discuss how this exhibition came together, they reveal that there is so much more left to explore. In addition to their functional aspect of protecting our feet, shoes can be symbolic “little sculptures” of status and aspiration. Some might even say shoes offer magical powers like with Cinderella or Dorothy. Watch the full video on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/CNn39TN444E

“Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” closes December 31, 2022

Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, and Colleen Hill, curator of costume and accessories, discuss how the MFIT exhibition "S...

12/22/2022

The Q***r Cultures That the N***s Destroyed

“To Be Seen: Q***r Lives 1900-1950” is an exhibition at the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism that runs through May 21, 2023. This five-part show explores different dimensions of the robust lives q***r people in Germany carved out for themselves in the beginning of the 20th century, positioning them as pioneers who challenged existing social structures. The final section focuses on life under the N***s and the years that followed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/07/arts/design/q***r-lives-exhibit-munich.html

An exhibition in Munich looks at the lives of some of the Third Reich’s lesser-known victims, reframing the way history is told.

12/22/2022

Franco-American designer Pauline Trigère was a brilliant technician with exquisite taste. The daughter of a tailor and a dressmaker, she elevated the quality of American ready-to-wear during her long career. Trigère also had a great interest in interior decoration. Featured in popular magazines, both her Manhattan apartment and suburban home were balanced blends of neutral and bold colors, patterns, and antique and contemporary furnishings.

“Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors” is on view through May 14, 2023 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/designing-women.php

Pauline Trigère, evening dress and matching cape, green and orange double-faced silk satin, c. 1968, USA, gift of Mimi S. Livingston

12/21/2022

For ancient Egyptians, gold had religious connotations as it was believed to be a divine metal representing the flesh of the sun god Ra, symbolizing eternal life. Daily Art Magazine explains how the passion for jewelry, combined with plentiful access to gold, left behind a rich legacy of gold ornaments including necklaces, neck collars, rings, bracelets, amulets, and more.

https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/gold-jewelry-ancient-egypt/

12/21/2022

Today we celebrate the

The days have shortened, the nights are longer, and the dark invites us to slow and quiet. Take this opportunity to go within and reflect on your inner light, sparkling away in anticipation of the longer days to come.
A Happy Winter Solstice to all!

, ivory silk crepe evening dress with metallic grommets, 1982, USA, gift of Ms. Toni Ausnit

12/20/2022

Someone paid $95,000 for this pair of jeans recovered from 1857 shipwreck

A pair of men's jeans recovered from the wreckage of a 19th-century steamer ship fetched an eye-popping $95,000 at auction. A pair of five-button fly, heavy-duty work pants, might have been made by or for Levi Strauss & Company in the 1850s. The pants went down with the SS Central America off the Carolina coast during a hurricane in September 1857 and are remarkably well-preserved, thanks to the anaerobic environment where they were found. Previously, the oldest known pair of Levi's was found in an abandoned mine shaft and dated back to the 1880s. They sold at auction earlier this year for $87,400.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/someone-paid-95000-for-this-pair-of-jeans-recovered-from-1857-shipwreck/

Work pants were recovered from wreck of the SS Central America, which sank in 1857.

12/20/2022

// The simple design of these shoes belies their role as status objects. They are made from a supple material known as Morocco leather, which was typically tanned black. Prior to the introduction of chemical dyes in the 1850s, their brilliant red hue would have been difficult and expensive to achieve.

Red Morocco leather and velvet flats, 1800-1810, England or France, museum purchase

On view in “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” closes December 31, 2022 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/shoes-2022/index.php

12/19/2022

The Museum at FIT launches exhibit celebrating history of hip-hop fashion

A new exhibit at The Museum at FIT will pay tribute to hip-hop‘s influence in fashion over the past 50 years. “Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style” opens Feb. 8, 2023.

https://thegrio.com/2022/11/09/museum-launches-hip-hop-exhibit/

A new exhibit at The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is paying tribute to hip-hop‘s influence in fashion over the past 50 years.

12/16/2022

Shannon Abloh Is Ready to Talk

“The notion of home mattered deeply to him. It was at the root of the pathways he established for folks coming in behind him,” Shannon Abloh explains in this moving piece about Virgil Abloh's legacy.
Though Mr. Abloh was perhaps most famous because of his work in fashion, he didn’t really think of himself as a designer. (He famously called himself a “maker.”) Design was just a means to an end, which had to do with visibility and representation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/style/shannon-abloh-virgil-abloh.html

In her first interview, Virgil Abloh’s widow steps out of the shadows and takes charge.

12/16/2022

// There’s nothing more fire than the s*x appeal of the stiletto heel. Shoemakers began to craft heels using metal shanks during the 1950s. The higher, narrower style is known as the stiletto for its resemblance to a sharply pointed dagger.

Prada, patent leather mules, spring 2012, Italy, museum purchase

On view in “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” closes December 31, 2022 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/shoes-2022/index.php

12/15/2022

A Deep Dive Into Fashion’s Obsession With Fakes

Fashion fakes might be the new reality but they go way back. “Faking has been done for millennia,” says MFIT director Valerie Steele. Yet today’s fashion obsession with fakes is more a celebration and reinvention of it all, using the idea of artificiality as subversive, rather than simply putting out blatant copies.

https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/fake-designer-bags-clothes-spring-2023-runway

As today’s social-political climate becomes more and more surreal, fashion is embracing the idea of knock-offs in a new way.

12/15/2022

David Colman on the Radical Face of Fashion

to that time ArtForum asked a handful of artists, designers, and fashion observers to talk about the art in fashion, the fashion in art, and the possibilities in their conjunction.

https://www.artforum.com/print/199508/the-radical-face-of-fashion-33109

FASHION AS “the last gritty, gutsy avant-garde”? The words are those of the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute’s Richard Martin. Writing in the Los Angeles Times this past February, Martin argued, “In a more tranquil world for art, only fashion insists on acting out dissonance and stirrin...

12/14/2022

Pantone in pop culture: From Tiffany blue to Minion yellow – DW – 12/01/2022

Over the past 22 years, the Pantone Color Institute's Color of the Year announcement has become an event on the pop culture calendar. Learn more about how Pantone selects its color of the year.

https://www.dw.com/en/pantone-in-pop-culture-from-tiffany-blue-to-minion-yellow/a-63919865

As Viva Magenta is named Color of the Year 2023, a look at how Pantone's title creates an annual buzz on the pop culture calendar, setting the tone for fashion, decor, print, and even Post-its.

12/14/2022

The revival of classicism, inspired by the archeological discoveries of the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, dominated fashion and interior decoration during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Although the style was decidedly more linear and balanced than the undulating curves of the preceding era, many modern decorators seamlessly combined rococo and neoclassicism in their interiors.

“Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors” is on view through May 14, 2023 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/designing-women.php

Left: Round gown of Indian cotton muslin, silver wire, and silk taffeta, 1795-1800, possibly USA, museum purchase

Right: Nightgown of cotton, bobbin lace, and silk satin ribbon, 1907, USA, gift of Catherine B. Canda

12/13/2022

A Hankering for Horror

“Horror is sort of like the color black and fashion — it’s a recurrent theme,” says Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum of FIT in New York City. “There are seasons when horror is more in and other times when it’s not, but it’s always there, lurking like a virus, ready to pop up again.”

https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/horror-popular-film-fashion-trend-1235416584/

Designers, filmmakers and the public can’t seem to get enough of the gruesome and gory right now.

12/13/2022

Love your lipstick on // “It is from the heel that the last, the shoe’s shape, is made, but it is also from the heel that the shoe’s magic blossoms,” designer Alberto Guardiani explains. Heels are a particular point of emphasis for the designer. His “Lipstick Heel” design has been made in several iterations since its initial release in 2010. The playful shoes include lipstick-shaped heels in various shades that can be interchanged to match the wearer’s outfit or mood.

Alberto Guardiani, black patent leather and plastic pumps, spring 2013, Italy, gift of Alberto Guardiani

On view in “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” closes December 31, 2022

ℹ️ Link in Bio!

12/13/2022

Love your lipstick on // “It is from the heel that the last, the shoe’s shape, is made, but it is also from the heel that the shoe’s magic blossoms,” designer Alberto Guardiani explains. Heels are a particular point of emphasis for the designer. His “Lipstick Heel” design has been made in several iterations since its initial release in 2010. The playful shoes include lipstick-shaped heels in various shades that can be interchanged to match the wearer’s outfit or mood.

Alberto Guardiani, black patent leather and plastic pumps, spring 2013, Italy, gift of Alberto Guardiani

On view in “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” closes December 31, 2022 https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/shoes-2022/index.php

12/12/2022

The Museum at FIT Exhibition Marks Hip-Hop Fashion’s Half Centennial

Did you know that in the ’90s, Kriss Kross made wearing backwards jeans their signature look? Jeans and more will be on view in “Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style” opening at The Museum at FIT on Feb. 8th.

https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-trends/fit-museum-hip-hop-50-anniversary-guess-tommy-hilfiger-jeans-392286/

Denim takes center stage at FIT’s “Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style” exhibition.

12/10/2022

Museum at FIT updated their info in the about section.

Museum at FIT updated their info in the about section.

12/09/2022

In a Jewish artist's stunning photographs, a Holocaust story with a happy ending

If you’re planning to visit Paris in the next few months, there’s an exhibition on the photographer Erwin Blumenfeld who excelled in the worlds of fashion and the avant-garde. “The Trials and Tribulations of Erwin Blumenfeld, 1930-1950” is on view at the Museum of the Art and History of Judaism until March 5, 2023.

https://forward.com/culture/526004/erwin-blumenfeld-photography-vogue-harpers-fashion-holocaust-paris-mahj/

Photographer Erwin Blumenfeld, subject of a new Paris exhibition, excelled both in fashion and the avant-garde.