Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
The rich history of fashion and textiles has inspired an exciting new field of study and diverse interpretations. But what makes FIT’s Master of Arts program unique is the best-in-class object-based training that turns theory and history into practice.
You’ll have access to The Museum at FIT, world-renowned for its comprehensive holdings, and the Gladys Marcus Library, with its extensive Special Collections supporting original research in fashion studies. Not to mention that you’ll be in the heart of New York City, home to a vast array of museums, galleries, and cultural institutions.
Program

Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice MA
Combine the study of fashion and textile history with hands-on training in the conservation, storage, and display of costumes and textiles. You’ll engage in rigorous historical research based on primary sources and you’ll learn how to identify fibers and weaves, the best practices for handling and storing costumes and textiles, and how to mount textiles and dress mannequins. You’ll also study collections management and exhibition planning and design, and you’ll apply these skills in a required internship. By the end, you’ll work with fellow students to plan and implement an exhibition in The Museum at FIT.
Our Work
Discover how our students and alumni blend theory, practice, and creativity to bring fashion history to the world.

Hamish Bowles, international editor-at-large for Vogue, asked FIT to conserve his 90-year-old Chanel dress. Bethany Viviano ’18 verified the origin of the dress and made it exhibition-ready.

Joy Davis used the degree she earned in Fashion and Textile Studies in 2015 to open Waller Gallery, a space that represents the work of artists of color.

In their second year, students collaborate with The Museum at FIT to create an exhibition. The Women of Harper's Bazaar examined the three women who transformed the magazine from 1936 to 1958.

At Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Michelle Finamore ’97 curated groundbreaking exhibitions such as Gender Bending Fashion.

April Calahan ’09 and Cassidy Zachary ’12 launched Dressed, a fashion history podcast that Vogue called “Arguably the gold standard of fashion podcasting.”





Impact
Conserve. Curate. Create … Studying the history of fashion and textiles opens a world of opportunity to keep artifacts and art accessible for future generations.

Beyond the Degree
Graduates find positions as curators, collections managers, historic house directors, fashion and textile historians, costume and textile conservators, and consultants to the film industry, among many others.

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