New Acquisitions

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Pale orange quilted silk short sleeve dress with floral photo print with oversize black puffer coat with rose print
Dries Van Noten / Ensemble / Cotton, feathers, silk, and leather / Fall 2019, Belgium / Gift of Dries van Noten, 2021.5.1

This ensemble formed part of a collection titled A Rose Is a Rose. The title was taken from Gertrude Stein’s poem “Sacred Emily” (1913, published in 1922), which stripped the rose of its romantic symbolism. The designer wanted to present a purely contemporary vision of roses, for which he selected an unexpected and “unnatural” color palette.

This ensemble was on view in the 2021 exhibition Ravishing: The Rose in Fashion

Back view of a beige and off white cotton long sleeve jacket with Save Nature smiling tree applique design center back and with heart shaped elbow patches
Cheap and Chic by Moschino / Jacket / Unbleached cotton and beige rayon / 1994, Italy / Museum purchase, 2021.39.1

Moschino’s concern over fashion production practices led to the launch of the Ecouture! line in 1994. The clothes were made from environmentally conscious fabrics, dyes, and embellishments. The designer soon extended the theme to the brand’s ready-to-wear line, Cheap and Chic. This smiling tree logo and the “Save Nature” slogan became emblematic of both labels.

This jacket was on view in the 2022 exhibition Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties.

Knee-length silk dress with yellow gold penne, farfalle, macaroni and spaghetti pasta print tied with red logo ribbon on black ground
Dolce & Gabbana / Dress / Silk / Spring 2017, Italy / Museum purchase, 2021.41.1

This Dolce & Gabbana dress celebrates pasta as an internationally recognized symbol of Italian identity. Food motifs have been part of Dolce & Gabbana’s designs since the 1990s. Most recently, the pair have made use of produce, gelato, and cannoli prints, reinforcing the connection between Italian food and fashion as parts of la dolce vita. Their designs follow in the footsteps of Italian fashion innovator Ken Scott whose colorful food-theme prints graced runways during the 1960s and 1970s.

This dress was on view in the 2023 exhibition Food & Fashion.

white polyester V neck short sleeve football jersey with 'R' logo center front
Ruff Ryders / Man's top / Polyester / late 1990s - early 2000s, USA / Gift of Antonio Gray, 2021.78.3

Producing an official fashion line is a way for artists to connect with fans and expand the merchandise offered at concerts and festivals. It is also a way for the hip hop community to make their fandom known. The Ruff Ryders Entertainment record company still produces this branded football jersey as a way for fans to express their love for DMX.

This top was on view in the 2023 exhibition Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Today.

Below are the types of objects in the collections of The Museum at FIT.

Man's informal or undress cap in crimson red silk damask brocaded with stylized floral design in multicolor silk and metallic thread

The accessories collection consists of approximately 15,000 objects that date from the mid-17th century to the present day. The collection has a particularly strong emphasis on designer accessories from the second half of the 20th century.

The accessories collection is supported by the Solomon-Sloan Endowment Fund, which was established in 2005 to facilitate the acquisition, conservation, documentation and exhibition of accessories.

  • The footwear collection contains more than 4,000 pairs of shoes, boots and sandals. It includes examples by designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Roger Vivier, Herbert Levine, and Salvatore Ferragamo.
  • The millinery collection contains more than 3,000 hats by famous milliners such as Caroline Reboux, Lilly Daché, Halston and Philip Treacy. There are also many examples from designers such as Christian Dior, Balenciaga and Jacques Fath.
  • The handbag collection includes fine examples by luxury houses such as Hermés and Gucci as well as examples by Roberta di Camerino, Judith Leiber and Bonnie Cashin for Coach.
  • Other accessories include fans, gloves, belts, hosiery and costume jewelry.

Pale pink silk damask dress with fitted bodice with bows

The Costume Collection consists of more than 50,000 objects dating from the mid-18th century to the present. The strength of the collection lies in its 20th-century holdings and, particularly, in couture and ready-to-wear women's clothing. The collections are currently being computerized to facilitate research.

  • The costume collection includes fashion by designers such as Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga, Chanel, Comme des Garçons, Dior, Galanos, Halston, Charles James, Norell, Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood.
  • The Halston Archives and Study Room hold designs, patterns, and related records documenting this important designer's life work.
  • The menswear collection features some 2,000 garments ranging from formal to activewear, including suits, coats, vests, and uniforms.
  • Also included are swimwear, lingerie, outerwear, and knitwear.

Texitle image of animals prancing

The Textile Collection consists of more than 30,000 textiles dating from the fifth century to the present, and includes the work of artists and designers such as Junichi Arai, Salvador Dali, Raoul Dufy, and William Morris.

  • The textile collection includes apparel and home furnishing fabrics, embroideries, and shawls.
  • The collection also includes a number of ribbon sample books.
  • The J.B. Martin Velvet Room archives handwoven and production velvets spanning a 125-year period.

Model Sandra Payson in studio in front of prints of Greek columns, leaning on a table filled with multicolor fabrics wearing a gray cape jacket, yellow gloves, and a grey hat

The Photography Archive features the work of fashion photographers Louise-Dahl Wolfe (1895-1989), who produced 86 cover images and thousands of interior shots for Harper’s Bazaar magazine, and John Rawlings (1912-1970), who had more than 200 Vogue and Glamour magazine covers. 

Image:  Louise Dahl-Wolfe photograph of model Sandra Payson. Featured in Harper’s Bazaar, March 1947, page 205, gift of  Louise Dahl-Wolfe,  74.84.54 

For those looking for the Herman Landshoff collection, the archive has been transferred to:
Munchner Stadtmuseum
Sammlungsleiter Fotomuseum
St.-Jakobs-Pl. 1
80331 Munchen

The contact for the collection is:
Dr. Ulrich Pohlmann
Tel.: 089/233-22948
Fax.: 089/233-27969
email.: [email protected]