New Acquisitions

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Mannequin wearing a halter top with a peplum and matching pants in a green fabric with gold pattern
Philip Lim 3.1 / Set / Green cotton and gold sequins / 2021, USA / Gift of Phillip Lim, 2022.4.1

Phillip Lim is known for his easy, relaxed style and rich sense of detail. Actress Ashley Park wore this gold embroidered ensemble for a Netflix AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) heritage month campaign in 2021. Park spoke about uplifting one another in the next generation and she illustrated these sentiments by wearing a design by Lim, a fellow AAPI advocate.

This set was on view in the 2022 exhibition Asian Americans in New York Fashion: Design, Labor, Innovation.

Mannequin in a orange / brown suede midriff halter top decorated with gold grommets and paired with a wraparound skirt
Olivier Rousteing for Balmain / Set / Deep orange suede and gold metal / 2021, France / Museum purchase, 2022.7.1

This look was acquired for the 2024 exhibition Africa's Fashion Diaspora which opens September 18, 2024.

Mannequin in a pink tooled leather jacket and pants with added panels that add volume to the chest and shoulders
Sánchez-Kane / Man's Mamado suit / Pale pink embossed leather / Las Puertas del Sentimentalismo collection / Fall 2019, Mexico / Museum purchase, 2022.10.1

Fashion can be used to support or challenge traditional ideas of gender. Sánchez-Kane’s Mamado pantsuit is an ironic take on the hyper-masculine bodybuilder’s physique.

This suit was on view in the 2023 exhibition ¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today.

beige sneakers with dark red stripes and white laces
Grace Wales Bonner for Adidas / Sneakers / Beige suede, synthetics and rubber / 2022, Germany / Museum purchase, 2022.12.1

In the 1980s, sneakers became increasingly associated with famous athletes, such as Michael Jordan of Nike Air Jordan fame, and rappers like Run DMC, whose song "My Adidas" became an international hit. By the 21st century, major fashion houses from Balenciaga to Louis Vuitton began to produce sneakers for men and women. Sneaker collectors–known as "Sneakerheads"–often consider their shoes to be an integral part of their identity.

These shoes were on view in the 2022 exhibition Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic.

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

Man's square red silk cap with floral pattern in gold 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.

Bodice of 18th century dress with bows down front

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.

Fabric 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]