Museum at FIT

01/08/2024

Happy Birthday Carolina Herrera!
Born in Venezuela in 1939, Herrera has been famous for her elegance and style for decades. Even before becoming a fashion designer in the 1980s, during her youth she was one of New York’s best-dressed socialites. Herrera’s exquisite sense of style and commitment to sophisticated elegance earned her international acclaim.

Learn more about Carolina Herrera in our online collections.
https://fashionmuseum.fitnyc.edu/

Carolina Herrera, evening set, silk gazar, spring 1982, USA, gift of Carolina Herrera, Ltd.

01/05/2024

It’s National Bird Day 🐦🐤🐧🐔🕊🦃🦚🦜🦢
“Birds in flight fascinate me… I’m inspired by a feather but also its color, its graphics, its weightlessness and its engineering. It’s so elaborate. In fact, I try and transpose the beauty of a bird to women.” – Alexander McQueen

Each year on January 5th, we are invited to join bird lovers and bird watchers to enjoy the diverse and remarkable world of birds. Here, the elaborate feather pattern of this Alexander McQueen dress envelops the wearer in the primary component of avian beauty.

Img: Alexander McQueen (1969 - 2010), dress, silk jacquard, fall/winter 2009, England, museum purchase

01/04/2024

Enjoy a gift New York Times article about fashion designer Stan Herman, 95, the “king of cozy couture,” and his new memoir.

In his new memoir, “Uncross Your Legs,” Stan Herman chronicles a lifetime of adventures in apparel (and out).

01/01/2024

🎊🌟🎊 Happy New Year!!! 🎊🌟🎊
Pantone's Color of The Year, Peach Fuzz, captures the desire to nurture ourselves and others. “In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.” ~ Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute™

https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2024

Rei Kawakubo (born 1942) for Comme des Garçons, dress, muslin, polyester, and faux pearls, fall 2009, Japan, museum purchase

12/31/2023

Festive dress countdown. One
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A Patrick Kelly design is unmistakable: joyful, provocative, and exuberant. Credited as the first American designer admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs des Modes, he spent the majority of his professional career in Paris.

What are you wearing to ring in the new year?

Patrick Kelly (1954 - 1990), evening dress, silk panne velvet, synthetic stretch, and metal, 1987-1988, France, gift of Gloria Steinem

12/30/2023

Festive dress countdown. Two
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Augusta Bernard combined her first and last names to form her company name, Augustabernard. She was one of the many female designers who dominated Paris fashion during the interwar years. The flawlessly draped gowns produced by Augustabernard were usually executed with minimal adornment.

What are you wearing to ring in the new year?

Augustabernard (1886 - 1946), evening dress, silk crepe with lamé ribbon, 1933, France, gift of Mr. Rodman A. Heeren

12/29/2023

Festive dress countdown. Three
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Charles James included extreme understructures in his eveningwear to ensure that the curvature and fullness of his designs would not be distorted. For him, the dress was a “cocoon in which the body is enclosed.”

What are you wearing to ring in the new year?

Charles James (1906 - 1978), evening gown, satin, 1954, USA, gift of Robert Wells In Memory of Lisa Kirk

12/28/2023

Festive dress countdown. Four
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Pino Lancetti's reputation as the "artist couturier" is upheld by this dress made of panels of sumptuous jewel-tone silks offset by strips of black velvet. The iridescent fabric catches light as the dress moves and folds, creating a subtle drama.

What are you wearing to ring in the new year?

Pino Lancetti (1928 - 2007), evening dress, multicolor silk, fall 1982, Italy, gift of Jerri Sherman

12/27/2023

Festive dress countdown. Five
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During its mid-century heyday, the House of Balmain was noted for fine-tailored daywear, along with ultra-feminine evening gowns. Harper’s Bazaar editor Carmel Snow reportedly told the Fashion Group in 1946 that Balmain’s were the “most feminine clothes in the world.”

What are you wearing to ring in the new year?

Pierre Balmain (1914 - 1982), evening dress, tulle and net, c. 1955, France, gift of Mrs. John Thomas Trippe

12/22/2023

What would New York have done without photographer Bill Cunningham? He showed the city that on every street corner there can be something to see. In his own words, “He who seeks beauty will find it.” If you’re looking for something to stream over the holidays, Bill Cunningham New York is a treasured documentary.

Bill Cunningham New York is a joyous documentary that explores the life of the late chronicler of clothes, who shot fashion’s biggest names and well-dressed nobodies

12/21/2023

The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, marks the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. As the sun makes its shortest journey across the sky, we might consider our place in this magical universe or simply look forward to the longer days to come. What does the mean to you?

Installation image from the 2017 “Force of Nature” exhibition

(L) Yvonne May, evening coat, c. 1920, velvet, crystal beads, and rhinestones, France, gift of John J. Sasek
(R) Saks Fifth Avenue, cocktail dress, black silk faille, rhinestones, and spangles, fall 1953, USA, gift of Sophie Gimbel

12/20/2023

Meet Keli Goff and her remarkable vintage fashion collection of more than 100 pieces by Black American designers.

Designers who created early athleisure, the Pl***oy Bunny suit and Jackie O.’s wedding dress take pride of place in Keli Goff’s museum-worthy vintage collection.

12/19/2023

A pair of Spike Lee's shoes were brought to a resale shop in downtown Portland, where its owner explained they belonged to Lee and were “some of the most rare and collectible shoes on the market.”

Nike Air Jordan 3 sneakers made for Spike Lee that were found in the Portland Rescue Mission’s donation bin are being auctioned off at Sotheby’s.

12/19/2023

It’s a season of gratitude, so we’d like to highlight one of the many generous donations we’ve received that help us build our world-class permanent collection.

As we close out this amazing year of celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop, check out this jacket Jeff Hamilton designed for Guess menswear. Hamilton pioneered high-end collaborations with sports. He licensed logos from the National Football League during the late 1980s to design this letterman jacket that became a hot hip hop trend during the 1990s.

This jacket was on view in the 2023 exhibition “Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Today.” Jeff Hamilton, NFL jacket, wool and leather, 1990s, USA, gift of Antonio Gray

12/16/2023

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Hawes!
Born , Hawes (1903–1971) was a gifted American clothing designer, author, and labor activist. She is remembered as much for her acerbic writings as for her custom-made clothing that combined comfort and function with clean lines and strong colors.

You can learn more about Hawes in our past exhibition, “Elizabeth Hawes: Along Her Own Lines,” conceived and organized by FIT’s MA Fashion and Textile Studies graduate students.
https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/elizabeth-hawes/index.php

Elizabeth Hawes, multicolor wool sweater, c. 1960, USA, gift of Charlotte Adams

12/14/2023

Happy Birthday Ann Lowe!
Born , Lowe (1903–1971) learned her craft from her grandmother, a formerly enslaved person in Alabama. She became famous among the wealthy American elite of the 1950s and 1960s for her couture-quality gowns. Based in New York, Lowe specialized in debutante and wedding dresses.
https://www.winterthur.org/ann-lowe-american-couturier/

Ann Lowe evening dress, rayon, 1965, USA, gift of Judith A. Tabler

12/13/2023

Sleeves are having a moment, as Vanessa Friedman points out in this NY Times article. But big sleeves have been a part of dress for almost as long as there has been dress. MFIT’s curator of costume and accessories, Colleen Hill, is behind our upcoming “Statement Sleeves,” an exhibition of almost 80 pieces from the permanent collection focusing on how sleeves serve as “signifiers of status, taste and personality.”

Raglan, fluted, leg o’ mutton, bishop, puffed, balloon — whatever you want to call them, we wore them.

12/13/2023

How Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo created the Parisian subculture called ‘The Crows’ is the topic of this i-Dentity podcast episode, featuring Valerie Steele as a guest contributor.

In this i-Dentity podcast episode, we explore how Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo created the parisian subculture labelled ‘The Crows’.

12/12/2023

Plaids and Corduroy: The New York Times style photographer spent almost two weeks documenting fall fashion on the streets of Tokyo. Enjoy this gift article.

Sartorial signs of fall abound on the streets of the Japanese capital.

12/12/2023

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.” ― William Blake //

Designed for a masquerade ball, this dress represents a forest at night. The crinoline skirt is decorated with trees and foliage, and a crescent moon and stars are embroidered on the bodice. The 1860s watercolor drawing is by either Jules Helleu or Léon Sault, probably for Charles Frederick Worth, who donated the work to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

12/11/2023

The museum galleries are closed until “Statement Sleeves” opens on January 24, 2024.

While we’re closed this winter, whet your appetite for what’s to come by checking out our upcoming exhibition schedule. Stylish things are on the way...
https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/index.php?exhibitions=upcoming

Christian Dior, evening coat, silk faille, 1953-1954, France, gift of Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr.

12/08/2023

Even ugly sweaters should be made well! FIT Textile Development and Marketing Assistant Professor Imran Islam spoke to public radio's Science Friday about the science behind why sweaters aren't being made as well as they were and what to look for when you purchase new knitwear.

A textile professor and knit expert explains why many sweaters today are of poorer quality than sweaters in the past.

12/08/2023

The Museum at FIT has launched a new membership level. Welcome, Couture Council Young Patrons! This group of fashion industry leaders and fashion insiders will work to amplify the mission of the museum: “to promote creativity and lifelong learning among diverse audiences with innovative exhibitions and public programs that advance knowledge of fashion.”
https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/couture-council/young-patrons.php

Image: The Couture Council Young Patrons at the “Food & Fashion” Opening Reception on September 26, 2023.

12/07/2023

Our December podcast episode is out! Enjoy a conversation between fashion designer Nicole Miller and MFIT Director and Chief Curator Dr. Valerie Steele. They discuss Miller’s career in fashion, what you don’t learn in school, and how complicated the industry has become.

Download and listen today! https://museumatfit.podbean.com/

Stream this episode and all our past episodes on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

12/06/2023

When the costume designer David Crossman got a job on Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” he had to recreate Napoleon Bonaparte’s iconic bicorn hats with a modern twist: Joaquin Phoenix, the film’s star, is vegan and doesn’t wear animal products. As a result, the hats in the film are made from Ugandan tree bark, which Crossman said gives them a texture that synthetic fabrics couldn’t match.

Inside the creation of one emperor’s famous headwear, as worn by Joaquin Phoenix in Ridley Scott’s film.

12/06/2023

📸 📸 📸 Esai Velasquez is a New York-based photographer primarily working in different modes of portraiture. For “Being & Becoming,” he explores fashion-based editorial and environmental portraiture with a wide range of color palettes. His work is on view alongside that of other BFA Junior Photography students.

The exhibition “Being & Becoming” is on view through Sunday, December 10!
https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/

12/04/2023

A fighting spirit has been gaining momentum in jewelry styles. Does it evoke gladiators? Wonder Woman? MFIT Director Valerie Steele points out that “any kind of armored clothing or jewelry is about psychological as well as physical protection.”

Mesh, medallion and breastplate designs are fighting for our attention

12/04/2023

“People would ask why are your glasses so big, and I would say the better to see you!” ~Iris Apfel

Just like Iris, we love big glasses! This pair by Patrick Kelly features gold metal chains as side pieces weighted by green transparent plastic dice. So original and perfect for

Patrick Kelly, plastic sunglasses, c. 1988, France, gift of Ady Gluck-Frankel

12/02/2023

Happy Birthday to Gianni Versace (1946 - 1997)
Born , Versace was called a genius and often accused of going over the top. So prolific was Versace that it is nearly impossible to single out one design as his most memorable: perhaps his safety-pin dress, famously worn by Elizabeth Hurley; or his influential leather ensembles, which were strapped, studded, and bondage-inspired; or the colorful, exuberant Versace prints that revealed his unabashed love of art. Versace was bold, sometimes baroque. He brought the theatricality of costumes he designed for stage and ballet to his runway collections, and while his references were often historical, he dismissed the idea that he was nostalgic. “I have a sense of the future that pervades my fashions,” he said.

This ensemble from autumn/winter 1992-1993 was lent by Gianni Versace, SpA to MFIT’s 2005 exhibition, “Glamour: Fashion, Film, Fantasy.”