Past Exhibitions

Postmodernism: Irony and Contradiction
AAS Fall 2023 

December 7, 2023 - January  31, 2024

FD AAS exhibit Fall 2023

In the AAS Fall 2023 exhibition, students celebrate the eclectic and subversive spirit of the movement by focusing on the ironic and contradictory aspects in particular, deconstructing the notion of “good” and “bad” taste, and “high” and “low” fashion.

Pattern, the Grid, and Other Systems

October 27 – December 3, 2023

felt sculpture

Curated by FIT Associate Professor of Fine Arts Julia Jacquette, this exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Technology featured work that utilizes and explores all aspects of repetition and pattern. 

Pattern is often thought of in terms of art and design: the repetition of shape in surface design. But the definition of pattern can be even more expansive: It's a regularity or repetition in the world in general. It includes the repetition of abstract ideas as well as form.

Pattern, the Grid, and Other Systems included two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and time-based artwork from FIT faculty, students, and distinguished alumni, as well as from guest artists. In addition, panel discussions and talks by participating artists and guest lecturers took place during the run of the exhibition.

The Unwearable Collection

September 18 – October 15, 2023

detail of garment from exhibit

The FIT Foundation, in partnership with the FIT DTech Lab, presents the evolution of The Unwearable Collection by Boehringer Ingelheim: pieces that are impossible to wear and impossible to ignore. The Unwearable Collection Exhibition—inclusive of “Uncertainty,” the fifth piece designed by FIT’s Fashion Design MFA students Natalia Robles-Oteiza and Urvi Selarka under the supervision of Dobriana Geneva, assistant professor, Fashion Design, with creative direction by Michael Ferraro, executive director, FIT DTech Lab—utilizes fashion to illustrate the debilitating pain and uncertainty that people living with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) endure during a flare.

The collaboration was supported by multiple interdisciplinary teams of FIT students who developed launch strategies for exhibition: Lauren Lee, Animation, Interactive Media and Game Design; Tyler Hernandez, AIMGD; Zuzanna Zmijewska, Exhibition and Experience Design MA; Jace Son; Exhibition and Experience Design MA; Margarita Kaplan, Advertising and Digital Design; Harry Xizhuo Lin, Advertising and Digital Design; Mariko Dreifuss, Advertising and Digital Design; and faculty members Dobriana Gheneva, Fashion Design; Eric Kaplan, Animation, Interactive Media and Game Design; and Joseph Staluppi, Advertising and Digital Design.

Unconventional Then, Now, & Always: 
A Helix of FIT Influence from Max Meyer to Daria Dorosh

June 15 – July 16, 2023

sketches from exhibit

This exhibition explored FIT founder Max Meyer's impact on the fashion industry through his role at Abraham Beller and Company, a women's clothing manufacturer in NYC. It highlights the connection between the fashion industry and FIT, showcased by significant donations that built the Library's Special Collections and College Archives. Meyer's gift of over 8,000 Beller company sketches depicting renowned Paris couture from 1915-1929 are featured, and garments from the F&TS collection were conserved by students and alumni. 

Also presented were contemporary art and fashion vignettes by FIT alumna and professor emerita Daria Dorosh, Ph.D. The exhibition emphasizes Meyer's lasting influence on modern artists and the garment industry, aligning with celebrating the College's 80th anniversary.

Millinery at FIT:
It's all about the hat!

June 15 – July 16, 2023

hats in the exhibit
Millinery at FIT celebrated the art of hat-making. Since 1944, FIT has nurtured a passion for hats, with students mastering various styles, from fashionable felt hats to exquisite fur pieces. The program includes men's hats, bridal headpieces, and weather-appropriate headwear. In the late 1970s, millinery became a part of FIT's curriculum, led by renowned milliners. This program has boosted the hat-making industry in New York City and nationwide.

Halston and Ultrasuede,
A Perfect Fit

June 15 – July 16, 2023

student finalists for Halston contest
This exhibition features student designs from the 2023 Halston competition and a selection of Halston pieces from the private collection of FIT Fashion Design professor Michael Kaye. 

The student winners were:
1st place: Nuo Cheng
2nd place: Cher Mouradzadegun
3rd place: Daniel Bochkov

School of Art and Design:
2023 Graduating Student Exhibition

May 16 - 28, 2023

GSE branding

The 2023 Graduating Student Exhibition presented the work of more than 600 student graduates in 16 areas of study from the School of Art and Design. The work was the culmination of each student’s unique experience in FIT’s diverse, challenging, and demanding undergraduate art and design programs. Featuring juried, award–winning, and thesis projects, this presentation is the manifestation of several years of research, experimentation, critical thinking, and artistic proficiency. The Graduating Student Exhibition advances the college’s philosophy that integrates practice in industry with theory and teaching inside the studio. 

The exhibition was on view in several spaces on FIT's campus at West 27th Street.

Get more information on the GSE webpage.

Crafted: 
Fashion Design AAS Exhibition

April 12 – 19, 2023
 Fashion Design AAS exhibit
For the spring 2023 Fashion Design AAS program’s capstone projects, students were asked to create their garments using muslin fabric exclusively. As a result, the exhibition focuses on simple forms and techniques, encouraging innovation and skill. For example, students could choose from a variety of weights, and the muslin could be draped, pleated, embroidered, dyed, or hand-painted. Included are works selected for Critic Awards by industry mentors who have worked alongside students throughout the semester—two in fashion illustration and three in apparel design.

Student Showcase 2023

March 27 – 29, 2023

detail of garments in the showcase exhibit

This showcase featured works by students from the School of Art and Design, the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences's Art History and Museum Professions (BS) and Film and Media (AAS/BS) programs, and the School of Graduate Studies’s Fashion Design program.

The Art and Design Gallery at FIT is an international showcase for the work of FIT students, faculty, distinguished alumni, and guest artists in every exhibition. It is a window into the college and a window out. The exhibition spaces serve as a place to foster learning and innovation. 

FIT Fabulous: 
A Modern Investigation of Hip Hop 

February 8 – March 12, 2023

hiphop exhibit
In a unique counterpoint to The Museum at FIT’s Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style exhibition, students present work with hip-hop themes from their respective majors. Works include graffiti-themed murals by Illustration students, hip hop–inspired furniture by Interior Design students, and a DJ booth for sampling hip hop music created by a team from Spatial Experience Design. Also on display will be a typeface created by Graphic Design students after exploring iconic spots in New York City where hip hop got its start. 

Creative Industry:
The Alumni Journey

November 16, 2022 – January 29, 2023

photo of work by Suzanne Tick
Diverse in medium, this exhibition spotlights the career trajectories of several illustrious FIT alumni, highlighting their innovations and interesting journeys through the creative industries. Co-curated by Troy Richards, dean for the School of Art and Design, and Alumni Relations’ Kseniya Baranova, the work on display features photography, fashion, video, weaving, wallpaper, graphic design, and painting.

Participating artists:
Bryant Carmona, Tiffany Chan, Andie M. Clarkson, Fern Clausius, Elianel Clinton, Terrace Cook, Yasmine Dabbous, Ryan Frigillana, Terumasa Fujita, Angel Garcia, Nyla Hasan, Sarah Merenda, Ni Ouyang, Sara Rabin, Suzanne Tick, Troy Vasilakis and Andy Zalkin

Work of Art:
Fashion Design AAS Exhibition 

December 7, 2022 – January 29, 2023

photo of gallery AAS show
For the Fashion Design AAS program’s capstone projects, students were asked to think of themselves as fashion designers collaborating with famous artists for their designs. They visited New York City's world-famous museums and art galleries, drawing inspiration from sculpture, paintings, and even poems to create garments with movement, volume, space, and light. This exhibition presents selections that speak for themselves emotionally—like a work of art. Included are works selected for Critic Awards by industry mentors who have worked alongside students throughout the semester—two in fashion illustration and three in apparel design.

Learn more about FIT's Fashion Design AAS program

Resurgence: 
The Ingenuity of Artisan Work and Hand-crafted Objects, Lobby and Gallery

October 10 - November 6, 2022 

detail of handmade rug
Resurgence showcases the ingenuity of artisan work and hand-crafted objects from textiles, jewelry, and decorative accessories. Contributors to this show include FIT alumni, faculty, and students, as well as finalists from the 2022 Global Eco Artisan Awards, a recognition given by the AGAATI Foundation.

By Design:
Collections, Public Art and Spatial Experience

August 15 - September 25, 2022 

photo of ribbons in gallery

This exhibit was about physical placemaking and was be used as a teaching tool. Craig Berger, chair, Communication Design Pathways and faculty in Spatial Experience Design, in collaboration with Keith Helmetag, designer, created an immersive, spatial, digital, illuminated installation with sound elements. 

Fast Forward:
Selected Work by Illustration Faculty Alumni  

August 15 - September 25, 2022 

Illustration of bird

This exhibition featured the work of 13 FIT BFA and AAS alumni who were also current or recent Illustration department faculty members. Curated by John Nickle, the exhibit included works by: Carlos Aponte, John Jay Cabuay, Mara Cespon, Qi Debrah, Bil Donovan, Dan Fillipone, Nathaniel Gold, Kam Mak, Jason Raish, Angela Rizza, Anita Rundles, Daehyuk Sim, and Ed Soyka.

In Pictures  

June 17 - August 7, 2022
 detail of abstract painting
This summer group show featured unique sculptural installations, figurative-based photography, interludes of painterly abstraction, and a photograph in words without a picture.

All artworks on display, as is the mission of the Gallery, were from recent graduates, faculty members, alumni, and invited guest artists.

Thanks to Sally Morgan Lehman, director, Morgan Lehman Gallery, NY, and Jaclyn Burke for co-curating this exhibition.

FIT Art and Design 
2022 Graduating Student Exhibition  

May 17 – May 29, 2022

GSE 2022 branding
This 2022 Graduating Student Exhibition (GSE) presented the work of more than 600 student graduates in 16 areas of study from the School of Art and Design. The work was the culmination of each student’s unique experience in FIT’s diverse, challenging, and demanding undergraduate art and design programs. Featuring juried, award–winning, and thesis projects, this presentation was the manifestation of several years of research, experimentation, critical thinking, and artistic proficiency. The Graduating Student Exhibition advances the college’s philosophy that integrates practice in industry with theory and teaching inside the studio.

Empire State of Mind: New York
The FIT Fashion Design AAS Spring Exhibition

April 19 – April 24, 2022

detail of garment sash

This exhibition, featured degree-culminating work by students in the Fashion Design AAS program, it celebrated the influential, diverse, and dynamic city of New York through the lenses of individuals and their unique experiences with it. The lobby of the Art and Design Gallery featured finished student garments, and the back gallery showcased examples of students’ portfolio work and model drawings. 

 

Under the Umbrella

March 21 - April 11, 2022 

umbrellas  displayed in the gallery
The exhibition, Under the Umbrella, was a curriculum-based project. Students  worked with the umbrella concept to highlight a sustainable solution that eliminates tons of umbrellas from reaching landfills each year. The exhibition called for action and focused on reuse, recycling, and lifestyles that support sustainability. The exhibit included sensory elements that made it "rain" in the lobby via sound components. 

The Black View

February 9 - March 8, 2022 (ongoing online: Visit The Black View

the black view

The Black View, sourced from an open call organized by FIT's Black Student Union, discusses the work of BIPOC members in the FIT community. The artists include Dane Tewari, Christien Lamoth, Yamilet Almonte, Racquel k. Jones, Keanu Williams, Kailee Finn, Alexis CrokerBenn, Thermal Taveras, Tigidankay Saccoh, Genique Smith, Lauryn Reeves, Kyle Reynolds, Genia Charles, and Nia Jackson.

The Soul of Frank T. Fraley: Health and Wellness Through the Power of Gems, Jewels, and Stones

February 9 - March 8, 2022

Fraley beaded bracelets
The Soul of Frank T. Fraley: Health and Wellness Through the Power of Gems, Jewels, and Stones is an installation of Frank Fraley's work handcrafted jewelry and waist beads.  Special thanks to Dr. Ronald A. Milon, FIT's chief diversity officer, for his curatorial assistance.

Journal and Pattern

December 13, 2021–February 27, 2022

detail of garments

The work on display included crocheted installations, fibrous stitchery, handmade books, collages, theatrical garments, costumes for dogs, sketches from the COVID-19 lockdown, illustrations of an extraordinary shoe collection, a gigantic moss-like sculpture, and a quilt from students, faculty, alumni and invited guest artists.

Participating artists: Chloe Apostle, Fine Arts student; Anabella Bergero, Fashion Design MFA '20 and inaugural SUNY Performing Arts Creation and Curation Prize winner; Jacyln Burke Fine Arts '22; Slavko Djuric, book artist and technologist, Fine Arts and Photography; Bil Donovan, adjunct associate professor, Illustration; Thomas Leach, exhibition installer; Esther Li, Fashion Design ’21; Melanie Reim, artist and educator and former associate dean, School of Art and Design; Tom Scott,­ assistant professor, Fashion Design; Lauren Zodel, assistant professor, Fashion Design; and invited guest artists Woolpunk and herbalist and artist Donna Cleary. 

Virtual Artist Talk with a group of artists who participated in the "Journal and Pattern" exhibit

Thursday, February 17, 1 pm

detail of travel journal, Bil Donovan

A virtual presentation and discussion with Jaclyn Burke, Fine Arts '22; Slavko Djuric, book artist and staff technologist, Fine Arts and Photography; Bil Donovan, adjunct associate professor, Illustration; Thomas Leach, exhibition installer; Lauren Zodel, assistant professor, Fashion Design; and invited guest artists Woolpunk and herbalist and artist Donna Cleary.

The Journal and Pattern exhibition in the Art and Design Gallery was on view  until February 27. All the work on display is by students, faculty, staff, alumni, and invited guest artists.

Image shown here: Bil Donovan, Travel Journal, Pen and Watercolor

Virtual Artist Talk with Anabella Bergero on Constructing Identities

Thursday, February 3, 1 pm

detail of work in Anabella Bergero exhibit

A virtual presentation and discussion with Anabella Bergero, Fashion Design MFA '20, and Tanya Melendez-Escalante, senior curator of Education and Public Programs from The Museum at FIT. Bergero won the inaugural SUNY Performing Arts Creation and Curation Prize for her exhibition proposal, which is on view as part of the Journal and Pattern exhibition in the Art and Design Gallery December 17–February 27.  

Image shown here:
Anabella Bergero, Fashion Design MFA ’20.

Style Journey

October 18 - November 21, 2021

banner composite of fabrics

An exhibition of contemporary kurtas, hand-embroidered and collaboratively designed by FIT Textile/Surface Design students and Fashion Design students from Pearl Academy, India, with an installation by N'Ketiah Brakohiapa, a textile artist and FIT alum, taking inspiration from his native Ghana. Using traditional hand-printed techniques and a range of colors and patterns, Brakohiapa's cloths and garments speak to a very long tradition of textile design that is more than just fashion. Brakohiapa's designs are rich in symbolism and expert in their execution.

Also on view in the Art and Design Gallery was an installation by Emily Omesi, recent alumna (FD' 21) and award-winner (winner of the Real Leather International Design Competition ) and current Fashion Design student Anthony Cruz. Special guest artist Sharmistha Ray exhibited conceptual works on paper that involve modes of automatic writing and intuitive geometries. 

Journey, Journal, Joy

August 30 - October 10, 2021

traci johnson banner

The works in this exhibition opened the mind and told stories. They represented discoveries made through photographs, garments, journals, poetry, and sculpture. This joyful and reflective yet nuanced show was personal and thought-provoking—jumpstarting the collaborative learning process for fall semester 2021 at FIT. 

Juneteenth, Love and Resilience

August 30 - October 10, 2021

juneteenth paintings banner

A selection of paintings from Juneteenth 2021, “Love and Resilience,” were displayed in the gallery lobby. Organized and curated by Joi Berry, Natasha Bwalya, Khyla D. Walters, and Rukaiah El. 

Virtual Artist Talk Series

Journey, Journal, Joy

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Virtual Artist Talk

A Virtual Artist Talk for Journey, Journal, Joy, with designer Nicole Benefield, student curator Joi Berry, artist Jon Cowan, artist Tamera Dorcinville, and FIT's staff photographer Smiljana Peros.

Virtual Artist Talk Series

Mimi Prober: History, Process, and Handcraft in Fashion in conversation with Colleen Hill, Curator of Costume and Accessories, The Museum at FIT

""

Mimi Prober graduated from FIT with honors and received the Critics Choice Award in 2012. Prober creates sustainable modern heirlooms through textile narratives, preservation, and process. She dedicated herself to the sustainable practices of natural dyeing and design with a focus on handmade details and textile narratives of the 1700s-1920s.

Virtual Artist Talk Series

Roberta Smith, the co-chief art critic of The New York Times --Looking, loving, and writing about art, a global conversation.

""

Globally Connected @ FIT and the Virtual Artist Talk Series presents, Roberta Smith, the co-chief art critic of The New York Times: looking, loving, and writing about art, a global conversation. Cohosts: Dr. Helen Gaudette,  Assistant Dean for International Education at FIT and Professor Alexander Nagel, PhD, Assistant Chair, Art History and Museum Professions. This program is a collaboration between the Virtual Artists' Talk Series and Globally Connected @ FIT.

Virtual Artist Talk Series

New York City: Pandemic, Resilience & Hope

""

Professor of Political Science, Praveen K. Chaudhry, in collaboration with Assistant Professor Souzeina Mushtaq, discussed his experience as a photographer during the COVID pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and last year's election. He shared his images of the past year's salient events, their unfolding, and the intense overlapping of issues during the talk. Link to view the Virtual Exhibition: https://www.artsteps.com/view/604a7f54ffdaae24fd1f5231

Virtual Artist Talk Series

Take Me to the River

""

Take Me to the River is a digital series of photographs taken by VPED Professor Anne Finkelstein on her Hudson River walks early in the pandemic. She talked about how she uses photographs in her work and creates digital composites from many photographs of the same subject – a contemporary form of Cubism.Link to view the Virtual Exhibition:
https://www.artsteps.com/view/60467f21ba690923392106a8

Back To The Present

""

"Back to the Present,” sourced from an open call organized by FIT’s Black Student Union, discusses Black pop culture, poetry, and fashion precisely from 2020's #BlackLivesMatter movement, within a historical context, particularly looking back to the civil rights movement, its influences, and outcomes. 

Who is Hippy Potter?

Thursday, January 28, 2021

""

Virtual Artist Talk with our guest FIT Alumnus Thaddeus Coates, Founder of the design company Hippy Potter, model, illustrator, dancer, roller skater, and puzzle maker. The discussion was about his journey after graduating from FIT and being a multifaceted artist and social change agent.

Chalk That Talk

Juneteenth – December 31, 2020

""

A public art exhibition of murals on the exterior walls of FIT organized by our Black Student Union. The project included over 40 artists and students. The goal of this exhibition was to express issues and highlight injustices going on within the Black community and promote the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Students and artists worked to promote healing within the community through art, responding to the existing climate of racial violence and social injustice, emphasizing the importance of Black and Brown lives, with messages of empowerment.

Conversations: Artworks in Dialogue

March 17 – April 7, 2020

""

Curated by FIT alumnus Lobsang Tsewang, Fine Arts ’17, this exhibition brings together a group of 23 artists whose works are both visually and conceptually diverse, but when the works are intentionally placed in relation to each other and in conjunction with the architectural space, it created a new relationship that demands engagement and conversation.

Black in Time

January 31 – March 8, 2020
 
""

In honor of Black History Month, FIT’s Black Student Union presented an exhibition that celebrated the evolution of Black culture by going beyond the narrative of slavery and back to the rich heritage of culture and tradition in Africa and its expansion worldwide. Black in Time cast a light on creativity, resistance, celebration, self-expression, and Black pride.

Picturing Space:
Artists & Designers Imagine Architecture

November 26, 2019 - January 5, 2020  

exhibit postcard detail

An exhibition which brought together artists, exhibition designers and interior designers who responded to the constructed city.

Cross-POLLINATION 

November 7 - 18, 2019

photo of cross-pollination exhibit

Student and faculty work inspired by the Museum at FIT's exhibition minimalism/MAXIMALISM. Participants included the Fashion Design Program at FIT, the Dance Wellness Minor at FIT, and LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.  

Michael Katz, Art as Fashion 

October 10 - November 15, 2019

photo of exhibit

A presentation of the late fashion designer and artist's one-of-a-kind, hand-painted silk and silk-screened fabrics collection, featuring original patterns and documentation. Organized by Anne Kong, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design faculty. 

75 Years of Fashion on 27th Street

October 14 - 27, 2019  

Archive photos collage
Curated by Danielle Paterson, BFA Photography, 2020, images and objects sourced from the Gladys Marcus Library's Special Collections and College Archives.

Re: Rooted, Cultivating Creatives of Color 

October 17 - 31, 2019

image of painting of heads
Working across many different disciplines, artists came together to celebrate the theme of identity as inspiration. Curated by Guillermo Marrero, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design, 2020, and Taj White, Fashion Business Management, 2020. 

Disney on Broadway

September 19 - October 6, 2019 

""
Disney on Broadway celebrated its 25th anniversary in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology by creating a unique design challenge for students to reimagine contemporary designs for some of Disney on Broadway’s iconic female characters. 

Jahnkoy - Crafting Evolution

August 15 - September 11, 2019

""
10 Years of Fashion Study.

Modeling the Future

June 13 - July 21, 2019
 
photos of robots made by Chris Spollen

An exhibition featuring the work of Professor Chris Spollen alongside students, alumni, and other faculty members.

The Future is Immersive

March 15 - May 2, 2019

student using virtual reality goggles
Highlighting a unique partnership between FIT and Montefiore Medical Center.