Calendar of Events
Symposia Fashion Culture Programs Talk and 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.
Past Programs
A list of past programs is available here. Many of them you can watch on demand on our YouTube channel. You can also visit our symposia page to watch past symposium talks on demand.
Symposium
Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style
Friday, February 24 10 am–5 pm
Join us for Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style, a fashion symposium hosted by The Museum at FIT and led by the exhibition’s co-curators
Elena Romero and Elizabeth Way. The symposium will draw on the expert voices of hip
hop style from journalists, designers, and stylists to curators, professors, and archivists
who will explore topics that center hip hop fashion as a force that has shaped American
culture for five decades. Talks and panels focus on the role of jewelry, custom design,
media, collecting, and designer brands in amplifying hip hop’s impact on fashion and
society. This symposium is held in conjunction with the exhibition Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style (February 8–April 23, 2023).
Image: Kisha, New York City, 2000. Photo courtesy of Jamel Shabazz.
Fashion Culture Programs
Melissa Marra, Fabio Parasecoli, and Elizabeth Way
Wednesday, February 15 at 7 pm
Join The Museum at FIT's curator of education and research, Melissa Marra-Alvarez, and associate curator of costume, Elizabeth Way, who will speak in conversation with food studies scholar Fabio Parasecoli about their most recent book, Food & Fashion, which examines the influence of food culture through the lens of fashion over the last 250 years. A book signing will follow. This event is organized in collaboration with the Museum of Food and Drink in preparation for the MFIT exhibition, Food & Fashion, slated to open in fall 2023.
Image: Courtesy Bloomsbury
Lourdes Font, Francesca Granata, and April Calahan
Tuesday, March 7 at 5:30 pm
Join us for a panel discussion of the life and work of fashion designer and writer Elizabeth Hawes, who is known for her timeless fashion designs and her written critique of the fashion system, such as in her 1940 book Fashion is Spinach. In a conversation moderated by author and podcaster April Calahan, professors and fashion historians Lourdes Font (FIT) and Francesca Granata (The New School) will discuss the importance of Hawes in American fashion.
Image: Elizabeth Hawes, evening dress, silk brocade, c. 1936, USA, gift of Mrs. Dudley Schoales, 69.156.6
Juan de Dios Ramírez and Alberto Escamilla
Tuesday, March 14 at 5:30 pm
Fashion stylists Juan de Dios Ramírez and Beto Escamilla present the book Blancopop, Una Mirada al Estilismo de Moda en México. This book brings together artists, photographers, and celebrities with whom the duo have collaborated during their 35 years in fashion. Specializing in editorial and celebrity styling, Blancopop have worked closely with Latino/a stars including Kate del Castillo, Cecilia Suárez, and model Mariana Zaragoza, among many others. A book signing will follow the event.
Image: Courtesy of Juan de Dios Ramírez and Alberto Escamilla.
Janette Beckman
Thursday, March 23 at 5:30 pm
Join photographer Janette Beckman as she presents her most recent book, Rebels: From Punk to Dior. A celebrated street photographer, Beckman photographed the legends of hip hop, and other underground scenes, including rappers Salt-n-Pepa wearing Dapper Dan, Slick Rick with his gold chains, LL Cool J wearing his signature Kangol hat, and Run DMC in Adidas. This book showcases the spirit of a generation that made history and continues to influence the world of fashion and the international collective imagination. A book signing will follow the event.
Image: Courtesy of Drago, dragopublisher.com.
Shoes A-Z: The Collection of the Museum at FIT
Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill
Thursday, March 30 at 5:30 pm
Join The Museum at FIT director and chief curator, Valerie Steele, and its curator of costume and accessories, Colleen Hill, for a discussion on 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. From gravity-defying heels to demure Chanel pumps, travel through 400 years of footwear history and the lasting cultural impact of the shoe. A book signing will follow the event.
Image: Zaha Hadid for United Nude, metallic vinyl shoes, 2013, France, museum purchase, 2013.83.1
Christian Dior: Destiny in America
Marie-France Pochna
Thursday, April 20 at 5:30 pm
Join author Marie-France Pochna's presentation about her 2021 book, Christian Dior: Destiny. Dior's official biography reveals the secretive and surprising man who revolutionized fashion. The book offers new insight on his spirituality and relationships, as well as a contemporary perspective on his legacy. Marie-France Pochna is an expert on fashion and trends in the luxury market, a professor, and a TV producer. A book signing will follow the event.
Image: Courtesy of Flammarion
Anna Sui: Fashion Design and Interior Decoration
Anna Sui and Patricia Mears
Friday, April 28 at 5:30 pm
Fashion designer Anna Sui and MFIT's deputy director Patricia Mears will talk about
interior decoration. Best known for her contemporary reimagining of historic textiles
and vintage clothing, Sui is also celebrated for her extraordinarily beautiful, self-designed
home. Inspired by legendary interior decorators and period styles from Victoriana
to Art Nouveau, it is an unsurpassed blend of art, craft, fantasy, comfort, and kitsch.
Photograph by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
Talk & Tours
Unless otherwise indicated, check-in for all Talk and Tours is in the lobby of The Museum at FIT, in the Shirley Goodman Resource Center located at the southwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 27th Street.
Wednesday, March 8 at 11:00 am
Monday, May 1 at 5:30 pm
Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors is the first exhibition to explore the connection between fashion and interior design.
Approximately 70 garments from The Museum at FIT's permanent collection are on view
alongside photographic images of the most compelling interiors created for leading
female fashion designers from the 1890s to the 1970s. Featured creators include Jeanne
Paquin, Lucile, Jeanne Lanvin, Madeleine Vionnet, Pauline Potter (later Baroness Pauline
de Rothschild), and many others.
Image: Anna Sui, kaftan ensemble, polyester and cotton velvet, autumn 2012, USA, gift of Anna Sui, 2022.70.1
Monday, March 6 at 5:30 pm
Wednesday, April 12 at 11:00 am
Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style celebrates the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop by examining the roots and
history of hip hop fashion from its inception to the present time. This exhibition
explores themes such as the transition of hip hop from the 'hood to the runway, luxury
and designer influence, the impact of hip hop celebrities on the fashion industry,
and the growth of hip hop style as an international phenomenon.
Image: Copy of an eight-ball jacket, cotton, 1991, USA, gift of Richard Martin, 91.237.1
Wednesday, March 15 at 11:00 am
Monday, March 20 at 5:30 pm
Elizabeth Hawes: Along Her Own Lines revives the legacy of Elizabeth Hawes, a New York designer and writer who was as outspoken as she was innovative. Hawes fought to bring high-quality garments to the masses, and she championed timeless style over passing trends throughout her long career. Using examples of her designs from The Museum at FIT and written materials from FIT's Special Collections and College Archives, the exhibition explores Hawes’ ideas about fashion, dress reform, politics, and hopes for the future.
Image: Elizabeth Hawes, men's kimono-style robe, silk, 1959–1964, USA, gift of Barnes Riznik, 88.65.12
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.
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