Exhibitions
| Scandal Sandals & Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes Gallery FIT March 9 – April 3, 2010 |
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| Delman, cocktail shoe, multi-color floral print with gold brocade, circa 1958, USA. On loan from Delman Archive. Photograph by Eileen Costa. | Delman, day shoe, black silk faille, circa 1937, USA. On loan from Delman Archive. Photograph by Eileen Costa |
Scandal Sandals & Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes features 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 explores and reveals the company’s renowned style, advertising, and craftsmanship. The objects on display, dating roughly between 1926 and 2007, 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. Scandal Sandals and Lady Slippers has been organized and curated by FIT graduate students of the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program. You'll find more information about this exhibition here. |
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| American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion Special Exhibitions Gallery November 6, 2009 - April 10, 2010 (Please note new dates) |
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| Yeohlee, White Teflon® Egyptian Cotton Harness Dress, Spring 2007. Lent by Yeohlee. Photograph: William Palmer. | Halston, American Beauty Rose gown in red silk organza, 1980. Gift of Ms. Chris Royer. Photograph: William Palmer. |
| 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 80 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, Bonnie Cashin, 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. Support for this exhibition and the related symposium in December, is provided by the 1stdibs, the online resource for antique and vintage design. Additional support is provided by The Coby Foundation and Yoox.com, the museum’s media partner for American Beauty. 1stdibs.com is presenting an exclusive editorial feature on its website. |
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Night & Day Fashion & Textile History Gallery December 3, 2009 - May 11, 2010 Night & Day examines 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. 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. |
| Rochas
(Olivier Theyskens), evening dress, black chantilly lace, black and
silver cellophane, Spring 2004, France, gift of Maison Rochas.
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