Special Exhibitions Gallery
February – April 2023
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The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop, and to commemorate
the occasion, The Museum at FIT (MFIT) will present Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style (February – April 2023), an exhibition that examines the roots and history of hip
hop fashion from inception to the present time. This exhibition will explore several
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.
Michael Hoban "8-Ball jacket" Fall 1989, USA, The Museum at FIT, 91.192.1 Gift of
Michael Hoban, North Beach Leather
Nike “Air Jordan” high top sneakers 1985, USA, The Museum at FIT, 85.196.1 Gift of
Nike, Inc.
“For 50 years, hip hop has made its mark on U.S. culture and the world,” says Elena
Romero, exhibition co-curator and assistant professor, Advertising and Marketing Communications
at FIT. “It is the perfect time to exhibit, examine, and celebrate the contributions
of our youth and people of color who ignited a multibillion-dollar industry, once
considered a passing fad.” Romero has extensively chronicled hip hop fashion as a
journalist, author, and scholar. She is the author of Free Stylin’: How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry and has been featured in several documentaries on the subject, including Fresh Dressed and The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion.
“The Museum at FIT has established the
Hip Hop Style Archive in preparation for our big 2023 exhibition,” says Dr. Valerie Steele, director of
MFIT. “We have already acquired some important pieces — ranging from Dapper Dan to
Chanel — but we are dedicated to finding much more material that will elucidate a
very important cultural phenomenon.” The archive, founded in 2019 in recognition of
the importance of hip hop style in the 20th and 21st centuries, is a continually growing
collection within The Museum at FIT’s permanent holdings and is comprised predominantly
of male and female garments, footwear, and related accessories. It includes works
from a range of designers, including American sportswear and luxury designers, European
luxury brands, and most significantly, works by designers of color, particularly African
American and Latinx designers who helped initiate hip hop style’s international success.
Dapper Dan of Harlem Bomber-style printed jacket 1987, USA, The Museum at FIT, 2013.87.1
Gift of Dapper Dan of Harlem
Puma by Rihanna Parachute jacket ensemble Spring 2017, Germany, The Museum at FIT,
2017.29.1 Gift of Puma
MFIT is currently seeking and accepting donations of objects to continue to build
the Hip Hop Style Archive and to accurately represent hip hop fashion in the upcoming
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous exhibition. If you wish to donate an object,
please click here to submit information through an online form.Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style will be supported by an advisory committee made up of experts from the fields of
fashion, music, journalism, academia, and education. The exhibition will be organized
and co-curated by Romero and Elizabeth Way, assistant curator of costume at The Museum
of FIT.
