Goings on at The Museum at FIT

Fashion Culture programs and events are free unless otherwise indicated, and are organized by The Museum at FIT to provide insightful and intriguing perspectives on the culture of fashion. Lecture "Beth Levine Shoes" Helene Verin Wednesday, March 10, 6-8 pm Katie Murphy AmphitheatreFred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, SW corner 7th Ave and 27th St. Join Helene Verin for a look at the iconic footwear of fashion innovator Beth Levine, who introduced the mule and the stilletto to America. Jacqueline Kennedy wore Levine’s sensational shoes, as have Barbara Streisand and Shirley MacLaine. A signing of Verin’s book, Beth Levine Shoes, follows the lecture.. Lecture "Hairsense/Hair Dress" Elena Fajt Wednesday, March 17, 6-8 pm Katie Murphy Amphitheatre Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, SW corner 7th Ave and 27th St. Meet Elena Fajt, visual artist and assistant professor of fashion design at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Fajt will present her ongoing project, Hairsense, as well as an analysis of the symbolic dimensions of hair. Fajt has made more than forty costume designs for theatre and dance, two feature films, and many short movies. Fashion ConversationThom Browne in Conversation with Fred Dennis Monday, March 22, 7-9 pm Katie Murphy Amphitheatre Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, SW corner 7th Ave and 27th St. Join us for a chat with Thom Browne, one of the best known tailors in the world. The 2006 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, Browne designs a collection for Brooks Brothers called Black Fleece for both men and women. His line of men’s jewelry for Harry Winston was launched in 2007, and his men’s line for Moncler, Gamme Bleu, debuted in January 2009, in Milan. Programs in April and May are listed on the MFIT website.

CURRENT EXHIBITION American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion Maria Cornejo, One dress, felted grey wool, USA, 2003, Lent by Maria Cornejo - Photograph by William Palmer © MFIT. November 6, 2009 – April 10, 2010 Fashion designed and made in the United States over the past one hundred years has attained worldwide influence due in large part to the creation and popularization of sportswear, denim, and mass marketing. Yet, contrary to popular belief, America has also produced artistic and innovative clothing that utilized the craft of dressmaking. American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion is the first exhibition to examine the relationship between the “philosophy of beauty” and the technical craft of dressmaking in the United States. Curated by deputy director Patricia Mears, the exhibition features approximately 90 garments by a highly selective group of American fashion designers. The garments on view are the work of only about 25 designers, many of whom are all but unknown, such as Jessie Franklin Turner, Elizabeth Hawes, and Charles Kleibacker. Their work is exhibited alongside that of more celebrated creators—Halston, Claire McCardell, and Charles James, for example. In addition, work by designers of the past are juxtaposed with present-day designers, such as Isabel Toledo, Ralph Rucci, Jean Yu, Yeohlee, Maria Cornejo, and the Mulleavy sisters, who work under the Rodarte label. Exhibition Website Support for this exhibition and the related symposium (December 2009) is provided by 1stdibs.com, the online resource for antique and vintage design. Additional support is provided by The Coby Foundation. yoox.com is the museum’s online media partner for American Beauty.

CURRENT EXHIBITION Night & Day Rochas (Olivier Theyskens), evening dress, black chantilly lace, black and silver cellophane, spring 2004, France, Gift of Maison Rochas - Photograph ©MFIT 2009  December 3 – May 11, 2009 The Museum at FIT presents Night & Day, a new exhibition examining how the rules that dictate appropriate dress for women have changed over the past 250 years. Featured are more than 100 day and evening garments, textiles, and accessories displayed in chronological order that illustrate the conventions for appropriate dress for a particular time of day, activity, or occasion and how these conventions continually change. Curated by Molly Sorkin,Night & Day reveals the evolution of the rules that govern fashion, including eras when strictly observed etiquette was the norm and other times when more flexible guidelines prevailed. The exhibition includes work by designers such as Christian Dior, Charles James, Yves Saint Laurent, and Olivier Theyskens for Rochas.

UPCOMING EXHIBITION Scandal Sandals & Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes Delman, cocktail shoe, multi-color floral print with gold brocade, circa 1958, USA. On loan from Delman Archive - Photograph by Eileen Costa ©MFIT. March 9 - April 3, 2010 The Museum at FIT presents Scandal Sandals & Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes, featuring a vibrant and detailed selection of the glamorous, innovative, and classic styles that made Delman Shoes—now celebrating its 90th anniversary—a leader in women’s footwear. As the first exhibition devoted to the history of the brand, Scandal Sandals will explore and reveal the company’s renowned style, advertising, and craftsmanship. The objects on display, dating roughly between 1926 and 2007, will chronicle the company’s rich and creative past. Delman shoes were worn by many movie stars and distinguished women of society, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlene Dietrich. The company’s name will forever be associated with these iconic women. Scandal Sandals and Lady Slippers has been organized and curated by FIT graduate students of theFashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program. The exhibition celebrates the 90th anniversary of Delman and marks the 25th anniversary of FIT’s Fashion and Textile Studies graduate program.

UPCOIMING EXHIBITION Japan Fashion Now H. Naoto Autumn/Winter 2008. Photograph courtesy of H. Naoto September 17, 2010 - January 8, 2011 Japan Fashion Now will be the first exhibition (and book) to explore how Japanese fashion has evolved in recent years. Japanese fashion today embraces not only the cerebral, avant-garde looks associated with the first wave of Japanese design in the 1980s, but also a range of subcultural and youth-oriented styles, such as the Elegant Gothic Lolita style and the Cosplay phenomenon. In addition, Japanese fashion often has a strong component of realism and an obsessive interest in perfecting classic styles.Contemporary Japanese fashion is significant globally, precisely because it mixes elements of the avant-garde (pushing the aesthetic envelope at the level of “high” art) and elements of realism (such as high-tech fabrics or an obsession with the perfect pair of jeans) with popular or subcultural elements, especially those associated with electronic manifestations, such as animated cartoons and videogames.

MUSEUM PUBLICATION American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion This beautifully illustrated book is the first to examine the relationship between innovation and aesthetics as expressed by American couturiers and fashion designers from the late 1910s to the present day. The book, which accompanies the exhibition, reveals that great design and great style are consistent elements in the work of American’s best fashion designers. Patricia Mears introduces many great forgotten figures, as well as many familiar names. Work by lesser-known figures, such as Jessie Franklin Turner, Ronaldus Shamask, and Charles Kleibecker, is discussed alongside pieces by more celebrated creators, such as Halston and Charles James; work by designers of the past is juxtaposed with that of present-day designers such as Rick Owens, Yeolee Teng, and Maria Comejo. James’s grand and structurally imposing gowns from the 1950s appear alongside contemporary Infantas by Ralph Rucci; the section on draping juxtaposes 1930s gowns by Elizabeth Hawes and Valentina with more contemporary garments by Jean Yu and Isabel Toledo; clothing cut into pure geometric shapes, such as circles, triangles, and rectangles, is illustrated by World War I–era teagowns by Jessie Franklin Turner, Claire McCardell’s mid-century rompers garments, and modern sportswear by Yeohlee and Shamask. While the United States may be best known worldwide for its casual mass-marketed garments, Mears demonstrates that artistry, innovation, and flawless construction are the true marks of American fashion.  Barnes & Noble, FIT affiliated bookstore

MUSEUM INFORMATION The Museum at FIT is dedicated to advancing knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, programs and publications. The Museum is open to the public free of charge,Tuesday - Friday, Noon - 8pm, and Saturday 10 am - 5pm. Located on the Southwest corner of Seventh Avenue at 27th Street in New York City, the museum can be reached by subway: 1, C, E, F, V, N, or R, and by bus: M20 and M23. Penn Station is close by at 31st Street for the Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak.