Paris, Capital of Fashion Symposium

Paris, Capital of Fashion poster
Cover: Small Landmarks: Reflecting, 1995, © David LaChapelle.

 

Friday, October 18, 2019
Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Theater
Marvin Feldman Center, Second Floor

Paris, Capital of Fashion was The Museum at FIT’s 22nd academic symposium. The one-day event explored what it means for a city to be deemed a “fashion capital” and why Paris is generally considered the most prestigious and competitive fashion capital in the world.

Speakers included Miren Arzalluz, director, the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris; Christopher Breward, director of collection and research, National Galleries of Scotland; Nancy L. Green, director of studies, Centre de Recherches Historiques; Dr. Valerie Steele, director of MFIT and curator of the exhibition Paris, Capital of Fashion; and others.

The full day's recording is available on Vimeo.

Speaker Biographies

Symposium Reading List (.PDF)

Event Photos

Symposium Schedule

TIME SESSION
10 am - 1 pm

Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT, Welcoming remarks

Dr. Valerie Steele, “Paris, Capital of Fashion”

David Gilbert and Dr. Christopher Breward in conversation, “What is a Fashion Capital?”

Corinne Thépaut-Cabasset and Maude Bass-Krueger in conversation, “Fashion History in France”

Agnès Rocamora, “Fashioning the Parisienne”

Frédéric Godart, “French Luxury and Fashion”

1 - 2 pm Lunch break
2 - 5 pm

Grazia d’Annunzio, “Fashion Capitals in Italy and France”

Nick Rees-Roberts and Miren Arzalluz, “Curating Couture: Patrimony and Innovation in Paris Fashion”

Sophie Kurkdjian and Véronique Pouillard in conversation, “Haute Couture Before, During, and After World War II”

Nancy L. Green and Elizabeth Way, “Immigration and the Making of Fashion in Paris and New York”

Sophie Theallet and Dr. Valerie Steele in conversation, “Fashion in Paris and New York”

Paris, Capital of Fashion, the spring 2019 MFIT Fashion Symposium, has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT, The Coby Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support has been provided by Chargeurs Philanthropies. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Live captioning of the symposium is provided, in part, by a grant from NYSCA/TDF TAP Plus.

Couture Council logo

The Coby Foundatoin logo

NYS Council on the Arts logo

National Endowment of the Arts logo

Chargeurs logo