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| THE LATEST NEWS |
... What's Happening ...
**Hurricaine Sandy** We extend our heartfelt sympathies for those affected by Hurricaine Sandy. We wish everyone a safe and speedy recovery!
**Ivy Style Symposium** Don't miss our annual fall fashion symposium on November 8-9. It's two-days of international presenters who will discuss, debate, and celebrate the aesthetic, cultural, and aspirational aspects of Ivy style. Speakers include Richard Press, grandson of J. Press; journalist G. Bruce Boyer; designer Jeffrey Banks; and Claudio Del Vecchio, chairman and chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers.Register now.
**Ivy Style Online** Would you like to explore the Ivy Style exhibition further online? Well now you can! The Ivy Style Online Exhibition is now live! Delve further into exhibtion with topics such as "Athletics and Ivy Style," "Princeton," or "The Polo Coat." There are also an array of extras, including a Youtube playlist of Ivy style music and a video from the opening reception. |
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PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Fashion Culture: Special Programs |
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.
Ivy Style Fashion Symposium
Thursday and Friday, November 8-9, 9-5pm
Our annual fashion symposium is here. More than 15 speaker will engage you on a range of topics related to the Museum's Ivy Style exhibition. If you can't make the symposium in person, follow the program on Twitter with the hashtag #ivystyle. Schedule and speaker information is on our website.
Swedish Fashion: H&M, ACNE Studios, and Much More
Tuesday, November 13, 6pm
What are the unique characteristics of Swedish fashion? Is nationality relevant in today’s global fashion market? Our panel of fashion insiders will tackle these questions during a revealing discussion of the history and aesthetics of Swedish fashion. Moderated by Ingrid Giertz-Mårtenson, the CEO of Swedish Vision, the panel will also include Lena Patriksson Keller, chairman of the Association of Swedish Fashion Brands; Mikael Schiller, Executive Chairman of ACNE Studios; Margareta van den Bosch from H&M; as well as the director of MFIT, Valerie Steele.
This panel is a collaboration between The Museum at FIT, Svensk Form (The Swedish Society of Crafts and Design), the Swedish Institute and the Consulate General of Sweden in New York. It is part of the special events series “Swedish Fashion Goes New York.”
Five Years of Unisex ~ Rad Hourani
Thursday, November 15, 6pm
Join Rad Hourani for a lively presentation of his unisex fashion creations. Since 2007, he has been designing clothing he describes as “gender-agnostic,” working mostly in black and white to create a true unisex look. Mr. Hourani’s photographs have been shown at the Galerie Joyce on the Palais Royal in Paris, and are collected in a book he published in collaboration with Mykromag.
The Color Revolution ~ Regina Lee Blaszczyk
Thursday, November 20, 6pm
Join historian Regina Lee Blaszczyk for a fascinating look at her book The Color Revolution, which explores the often unrecognized role of the color profession in consumer culture. Ms. Blaszczyk will explain color forecasting and show how “color engineers” help corporations utilize color psychology. A book signing will follow the lecture.
M: The Civilized Years, 1983-1989 ~ John Tinseth
Thursday, November 29, 6pm
John Tinseth is an ex-deputy sheriff, ex-paratrooper, ex-park ranger, and author of the men’s style blog The Trad. Join him for a presentation of his book, M: The Civilized Years, 1983-1989, which collects the best of Mmagazine. M featured fashion and styling advice for men from Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Alexander Julian, and many others. It also documented New York’s urbane, upper-class lifestyle, covered the best restaurants and the wildest bars, and featured articles about how to find the perfect tailor, as well as the perfect wife.
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CURRENT EXHIBITION
Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part Two |
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| Oscar de la Renta for Balmain, evening dress in silk embroidered organza, spring 2002, France, gift of Mrs. Martin D. Gruss. |
May 23 - November 10, 2012
Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part Two is the second of two exhibitions that highlight modern and contemporary pieces from the Museum’s permanent collection. More than sixty garments and accessories are featured by designers from Adrian to Zoran, including work by Charles James, Ralph Lauren, and Diane von Furstenberg. Full portraits of all exhibition objects from the two exhibitions will be included in a companion publication by TASCHEN later this fall.
Read more here. |
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CURRENT EXHIBITION
Ivy Style |
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| Chipp, madras jacket, circa 1970, gift of Glenn Forbes. |
September 14, 2012 - January 5, 2013
Ivy Style celebrates one of the most enduring clothing styles of the 20th century. While viewed today as a classic form of dressing, in its heyday, Ivy style—or the “Ivy League look” —was actually so cutting-edge that it went on to inform the evolution of menswear for decades. This exhibition examines the genesis of Ivy style on the prestigious college campuses of the United States during the early years of the twentieth century, looks at the ways in which the style became codified by mid-century, and reveals how, nearly one hundred years after its inception, Ivy style is still a thriving global influence.
Ivy Style presents three main periods of the look: the interwar years of the 1920s and 1930s; the post-war era to the end of the 1960s; and the revival from the 1980s to the present. Focusing almost exclusively on menswear dating from the early 20th century through today, more than sixty ensembles, both historic and contemporary, are intermingled in an environment evocative of an Ivy League university campus.
Read more here |
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UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Fantastic: FIT Art and Design Faculty Exhibition |
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| Photograph by Ron Amato, Giardini di Boboli, Florence, Italy |
November 10 - December 8, 2012
This exhibition of FIT faculty artists features a variety of artworks from ten different departments within the School of Art and Design. Media include painting, drawing, digital, animation, sculpture, photography, and jewelry, based on the theme of the fantastic, otherworldly, and imagined. Participating artists are donating proceeds from their sales to Kids in Distressed Situations, an organization that supports relief efforts in Haiti.
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UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Fashion and Technology |
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| Jean Paul Gaultier, jumpsuit, multicolor nylon/spandex, 1996, France, 96.66.1, Museum Purchase. |
December 4, 2012 - May 8, 2013
Fashion and Technology will examine how, throughout history, fashion has engaged with technological advancement and been altered by it. Time and again, fashion’s dynamic relationship with technology has both expanded its aesthetic vocabulary and streamlined its means of production.
In recent years, designers have made technology a focal point of their collections, but as early as the mid-18th century, technological advancements were shaping fashion design and fabrication. The development of aniline dyes, the sewing machine, synthetic fibers, and zippers have all sent fashion in new directions. More recently, so have wireless circuitry and the creation of fashion design software. Technologies outside of the fashion industry also contribute to change within it. These include global transportation, the internet, blogging, online retailing, and the increased speed of global communication through digital platforms and social-media outlets.
The goal of this exhibition is to analyze the impact of technologies on the nature of fashion and its design, and to question whether these developments push the industry forward or ultimately set it back.
Fashion and Technology will begin with a display of examples from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as a 1780s suit made with a machine-knit textile, and an 1860s dress produced using synthetic dyes. From there, it will showcase prominent developments from different time periods, travelling chronologically all the way to the present day.
The exhibition will feature objects exclusively from The Museum at FIT’s costume collection alongside a selection of textiles and accessories that highlight the multifaceted nature of technological developments. The use of video monitors and computers will enhance the exhibition, offering the opportunity to showcase works by small, cutting-edge design teams, such as the Dutch label Freedom of Creation, alongside pieces by fashion icons such as Elsa Schiaparelli, André Courrèges, Issey Miyake, and Nicholas Ghesquière for Balenciaga. Fashion and Technology is organized by Ariele Elia and Emma McClendon.
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UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Shoe Obsession |
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| Roger Vivier (Bruno Frisoni), Eyelash Heel pump, Rendez-Vous (Limited Edition Collection), Fall 2012-2013, Courtesy of Roger Vivier / Photos by Stephane Garrigues. |
February 8 - April 13, 2013
Shoe Obsession examines our culture’s ever-growing fascination with extravagant and fashionable shoes. In fact, designer shoes have overtaken “It” bags as the most coveted fashion accessories. In response, shoe departments in major department stores have undergone significant expansions, and the “great designer shoe wars” have escalated. Shoes by established designers such as Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin continue to be bestsellers, while the number of rising stars within the footwear industry is multiplying. Over the past decade, heels have reached new heights —as have prices. High-heeled shoes—the fashion shoes of the 21st century—have become so tall that even a 4-inch heel is considered “low.”
Shoe Obsession will feature approximately 150 examples of contemporary footwear, highlighting the extreme, lavish, and imaginative styles that have made shoes central to fashion. The exhibition will include work by prominent footwear labels such as Manolo Blahnik, Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Louboutin, and Roger Vivier, as well as shoes from influential design houses, including Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, and Prada. Avant-garde designers such as Kei Kagami and Noritaka Tatehana—who have made some of the most extreme shoes of the 21st century—will further underscore the exceptional creativity of contemporary shoe design. Shoe Obsession will also include highlights from the incredible shoe collections of several stylish women, including jewelry designer Lynn Ban and fashion icon Daphne Guinness. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator, and Colleen Hill, associate curator of accessories. |
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LINKS WE LIKE
A world of fashion is on the web |
Stuck
The latest brilliant fashion film from Prada
Take "Ivy Style"
A short video on Ivy style history, it's connection to jazz, and today's resurgence.
The Bride Wore Red
A T Magazine blog post about the V&A's Hollywood Costume exhibition features a story about MFIT's Adrian dress that was in the film The Bride Wore Red.
Meeting of the Minds
Stories of renowned designer/photographer collaborations
Who is the Dandy Man?
The Congo subculture of Sapeurs is examined.
Should Museums be Free?
The Getty's director says 'yes' in this panel discussion. Of course we are FREE and proud of it!
Fashion, Photography & Art
Magnum photographer René Burriwas collaborated on a project with Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. The photographer's images were re-appropriated for the brand's printed announcements and invitations. His original photographs are collaged and layered to produce a new vision of his historic works.
Did you hear, we got accredited?
DNAinfo.com explains the road to this accomplishment.
Frida Kahlo Fashions on Display
Not only is an exhibit on Frida Kahlo's clothes/style opening November 22 in Mexico City, it's designed by Judith Clark!
Dinosaurs Get Make-Overs in Chicago
A fashion designer helps a the Field Museum of Natural History dust itself off with a clever exhibition.
Weaving Narratives in Museum Galleries
The Met's director, Thomas P. Campbell, gives a TED talk on tapestries and McQueen!
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| MUSEUM PUBLICATIONIvy Style |
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| Book Cover |
Many of the most familiar sartorial images of the 20th century can be traced to the prestigious college campuses of America. The "Ivy League Look," or "Ivy Style," was once a cutting-edge look that for decades led the evolution of menswear. Far more than a classic way of dressing, Ivy Style spread beyond the rarified walls of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to influence countless designers.
Focusing on menswear dating from the early 20th century through today, this elegant book traces the main periods of the look: the interwar years when classic items, such as tweed jackets and polo coats, were appropriated from the English man's wardrobe and redesigned by pioneering American firms such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press for young men at elite East Coast colleges; then from 1945 to the late 1960s, when the staples of Ivy Style—oxford cloth shirts, khaki pants, and penny loafers—were worn by a new, diverse group that included working-class students and jazz musicians; and finally the current revival of the Ivy look that began in the early 1980s.
Ivy Style celebrates both high-profile proponents of the style—including the Duke of Windsor, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Miles Davis—who made the look their own, and designers such as Ralph Lauren, J. McLaughlin, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Bastian, and Thom Browne, who have made it resonate with new generations of style enthusiasts.
Edited by Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology; With contributions by Christopher Breward, G. Bruce Boyer, Christian Chensvold, Patricia Mears, Masafumi Monden, and Peter McNeil.
Available from |
Yale University Press
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| MUSEUM INFORMATION |
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| 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, M, 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. |
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