Calendar of Events
Fashion Culture | Family Program | Symposium | Talk + Tours
Fashion Culture
Fashion Culture programs are organized by
The Museum at FIT to provide new perspectives on the culture of fashion.
Admission
All programs are free unless otherwise indicated. However, reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited. The Museum at FIT and the college reserve the right to cancel a program at any time.
Program Venues
The Katie Murphy Amphitheatre is in the Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center on
the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 27th Street.
Other venues can be found on FIT's Campus Map (select individual buildings for more details).
Fashion Culture Programs
Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith
Paul Martineau and David Campany
Wednesday, September 27, 5:30 pm
Known for his stylish, whimsical, and surreal images, Rodney Smith (1947–2016) started out as a photo-essayist, turned to portrait photography, and found his greatest success in fashion photography. Paul Martineau, curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum and author of the new book Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith, joins curator and writer David Campany in conversation to discuss what makes fashion photography art. A book signing follows the event.
Photo: Edythe and Andrew Kissing on Top of Taxis, New York City, New York, 2008.
Fashion's Role in Black Protest, 1863–1963
Jonathan Square and Elizabeth Way
Tuesday, October 3, 5:30 pm
Join fashion historian and assistant professor at Parsons School of Design Jonathan Michael Square and MFIT associate curator Elizabeth Way for a conversation on the significance of fashion and self-presentation for Black Civil Rights leaders from the 19th century to the present. This program is also a part of the 1863–1963–2023 Project: Civil Rights in FIT’s Neighborhood project.
Image: Patrick Kelly, denim overalls dress, fall 1987, France, gift of Bjorn G. Amelan and Bill T. Jones, 2016.82.9
Color in Indigenous Textiles
Remigio Mestas and Liz Galván
Tuesday, October 10, 5:30 pm
Join master artisan Remigio Mestas and color specialist Liz Galván as they discuss the significance of color in Zapotec textiles. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about dyeing techniques favored by Indigenous artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Image courtesy of Remigio Mestas.
Shoes A–Z: The Collection of the Museum at FIT
Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill
Wednesday, October 11, 5:30 pm
MFIT director and chief curator Valerie Steele and curator of costume and accessories Colleen Hill, discuss their new Taschen book, Shoes A-Z: The Collection of The Museum at FIT. Hundreds of groundbreaking designs, rare ephemera, and original sketches are presented in the book from the museum’s pristinely preserved collection. A book signing follows the event.
Image: Zaha Hadid for United Nude, metallic vinyl shoes, 2013, France, museum purchase, 2013.83.1
Food & Fashion According to The Taste Curators
Abbey Cook and Lish Steiling in conversation with Melissa Marra-Alvarez and Elizabeth Way
Wednesday, November 15, 5:30 pm | SOLD OUT
The Taste Curators Abbey Cook and Lish Steiling will discuss the exhibition Food & Fashion with co-curators Melissa Marra-Alvarez and Elizabeth Way. The evening will focus on the coincidences between fashion and food and will include tasting dishes inspired by objects featured in the exhibition.
Please note that walk-ins are not allowed for this event. Only those who have RSVP'd will be admitted.
Image: Comme des Garçons, dress, spring 2018, Japan, gift of Nordstrom, 2021.33.5
Family Program
Food & Fashion
Recommended age group: 8–12 years old
Friday, October 27, 3:30–5 pm
Join us for an afternoon of intergenerational activities: an exhibition tour, games, and a creative dye workshop! Parents and children will have the opportunity to learn more about how food and fashion influence each other as they experiment with shapes, colors, and textiles.
Image: Delvaux, french fries and burger miniature leather bags, 2017, Belgium, gift of Delvaux, 2019.87.1 & 2
Symposium
Food & Fashion Symposium
Friday, November 3, 10am – 5pm
The Food & Fashion Symposium features preeminent food and fashion scholars, as well as designers, chefs, and artists, exploring how, for over two centuries, food culture has impacted fashion and vice versa. Topics include sustainability, the creative overlap between fashion and food within haute cuisine and through social media, how cultural identity and social justice are communicated through food and fashion, how body image and eating practices intersect with food and fashion, and how artists express the relationship between these two vital aspects of culture and society. Organized in conjunction with the exhibition of the same title.
Image: BH signature ramen print set, Bobblehaus, 2020. Photograph by Madeleine Thomas for Bobblehaus.
Talks & Tours
Food & Fashion
Monday, October 16, 5:30 pm (Elizabeth Way) | SOLD OUT
Wednesday, November 1, 11 am (Melissa Marra-Alvarez)
Food & Fashion is a major exhibition exploring the relationship between these related topics. Featuring over 90 works, it illuminates the dynamic relationship between these two mediums as expressed in fashion design.
Image: Assortment of accessories, c. 1932–1965.
The public is always welcome at The Museum at FIT and our programming is always free.
If you are able, please consider supporting the Museum's collection and programming by making a donation in any amount.
Your support helps the Museum continue to educate and inspire diverse audiences with world-class exhibitions and public programs that focus on diverse and inclusive themes and are free to the public.
Fashion Culture Fall 2023 is made possible with the support of the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT. The Museum at FIT's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
