Calendar of Events

Fashion Culture | Family ProgramSymposium | 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

 

a couple kisses standing on a yellow cab amidst a sea of yellow cabs under an elevated expressway
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre

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. 

Register

denim overalls dress styled with white cotton shirt
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre

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

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man holding vibrantly colored textile
Pomerantz Art and Design Center 2nd Floor Studio

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.

Register

pair of rose gold metallic high heels
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre

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

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dress with wide skirt and a print of a painting of a man composed of fruits and vegetables
David Dubinsky Student Center 8th Floor Dining Room

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

 

french fry and hot dog purses
Group meets in museum lobby

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

Register

Symposium

 

model wearing ramen cup noodle print ensemble eating ramen out of a bucket hat of the same print in the mountains
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre

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.

Symposium Details

Talks & Tours

 

cream colored hats and a pair of heels on cake stands

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. 

Register 

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.

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