Exhibitions

Head to Toe will explore approximately 200 years of women’s dress from 1800 to the early 21st century through the lens of accessories. Often garments are the focus of fashion exhibitions, however accessories are integral components of the full ensemble, and are important in communicating vital messages about the wearer. Over time accessories have become powerful tools in articulating ideas about femininity, sexuality, modesty, power, class, and race, as well as an important outlet to express style and individuality.

Head to Toe will detail the intricacies and etiquette of Euro-American women’s fashion, showing its evolution over time and its changing social context. Topics such as imperialism, industrialization, feminism, and modernity will be explored.

Image: Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, silk evening pumps and clutch, 1955-1959, France, Gift of Arthur Schwartz. 79.169.6

Minimalism. Retro revivals. Deconstruction. The rejuvenation of haute couture. These are just a few of the concepts that have come to define 1990s fashion, which was not easily characterized by a handful of silhouettes or the dictates of a few designers. As fashion editor Stephen Gan wrote in 1997, “To focus on one current look or to obsess over the rise and fall of hemlines is to miss out on the wonder and variety in fashion today.”

Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties is organized by Colleen Hill, curator of costume and accessories, and features more than seventy-five looks from Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Helmut Lang, Maison Martin Margiela, Prada, XULY.Bët, and many others. The exhibition centers on designers who challenged the expected appearance or workings of high fashion, and who played an important role in laying the foundation for fashion of the twenty-first century.

The exhibition is accompanied by a book of the same title, published by Rizzoli Electa. More than 150 images by photographers such as Mark Borthwick, Corinne Day, Patrick Demarchelier, Craig McDean, Nick Knight, David Sims, and Ellen Von Unwerth illustrate some of the most important fashions of this dynamic decade.

Shoes will highlight approximately 400 pairs of shoes from the museum’s permanent collection of 4,000 shoes. Following the success of the MFIT exhibitions Shoes: A Lexicon of Style (1999) and Shoe Obsession (2013), this exhibition will provide its own rich narrative on the enduring cultural significance of shoes, while showcasing the museum’s world-class collection of footwear. The museum’s earliest shoes date from the 17th century (a pair of high-heeled men’s shoes). The most recent are spectacular 21st-century footwear. Labels to be featured include Alaïa, Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Ferragamo, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Prada, Noritaka Tatehana, Iris van Herpen, and Roger Vivier, among others.

Image: Jimmy Choo for Anya Hindmarch, evening mules, circa 1998, England, gift of Virginia Barbato. 2017.72.2

The exhibition, curated by Dr. Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill, will be accompanied by a lavishly-illustrated companion book, published by Taschen, similar to Fashion Designers, A-Z: The Collection of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (now in its third edition).

Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style will celebrate 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 will explore 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.

This exhibition is curated by Elena Romero, Assistant Professor of Advertising and Marketing Communications at FIT and author of Free Stylin’: How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry together with Elizabeth Way, Assistant Curator at The Museum at FIT.

Image: Nike, "Air Jordan" sneakers, 1985, USA, gift of Nike. 85.196.1