Fashion and Textile History Gallery: The Tailor's Art
On view from May 23, 2006
The Museum at FIT reveals The Tailor’s Art, the second rotation of the permanent Fashion and Textile History Gallery. With all new objects, the gallery will explore the art of tailoring (what it is and how it differs from other forms of clothing design, such as draping.)
Tailoring has had a profound influence on fashion for both men and women. In contrast to draping, a relatively modern invention, tailoring was truly the first form of constructed dressmaking. Unlike ethnographic clothing, tailoring highlights the idealized human form. The man’s suit, the quintessential tailored garment, came into being in the 18th century and was “the” modern ensemble. Tailored menswear took a leadership role in pushing women’s fashion forward.
The Tailor’s Art will include tailored fashions for women as well as styles that are the antithesis of the man’s somber suit. This exploration of gender differences will also feature examples of ornamental waistcoats and dressing gowns, and a range of menswear, such as the cowboy suit and counterculture clothing that will add visual and intellectual excitement.
Love and War: The Power and Charm of Fashion
On view from May 23, 2006 September 9 to December 16, 2006
Modern fashion is often inspired by what might be called the discourse of silk and steel. As designers seek to express both sensuality and power, they draw on two important sources of inspiration: 1) lingerie, which is symbolically associated with the naked body, intimacy, and seduction, and 2) armor and military uniforms, which are associated with power, protection, and discipline.
Different designers have, of course, focused on different aspects of this theme. Jean Paul Gaultier designed a camouflage ballgown for the haute couture, while Thierry Mugler envisioned sexy robots with hard, metallic bodies. The British design team Boudicca create styles that evoke transgressive warrior women, and Junya Watanabe channels chic soldier boys. Both Narciso Rodriquez and Alexander McQueen have juxtaposed silk with chain mail. The list goes on…
Love and War is the first museum exhibition to explore the influence on fashion of both “intimate apparel” and military “body armor.” If lingerie is like soft skin, armor is a hard exoskeleton. But clothing symbolism is complex and multifaceted. Uniforms can signify both order and disorder. Moreover, uniforms, like lingerie, are fetishized cultural artifacts, which embody ambiguous erotic impulses. By focusing on the dichotomy between armor and underwear, we can more easily see how modern fashion alludes to a series of other visual and conceptual polarities, such as male/female, hard/soft, outside/inside, armed/disarmed, rigidity/fluidity.
For more information, consult the website.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Current Exhibitions at the Museum at FIT
Permanent Fashion and Textile History Gallery
The Fashion and Textile History Gallery features changing selections from the Museum’s permanent collections, which are comprised of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present - with particular strength in contemporary designer fashion - some 30,000 textiles from the 6th to 21st centuries, as well as 300,000 textile swatches and 1,300 sample books. The Fashion and Textile History Gallery is organized chronologically, so that students and visitors can understand the important cultural, social, and technological changes that fashion so clearly demonstrates. In this and other respects, the gallery supplements the many classes and tours held in the Museum as well as its special exhibitions and public programs. The Museum at FIT is one of the world’s only institutions dedicated to the study of fashion and textiles and will now feature its collections year-round.
Textiles from the Garden of Eden
February 17 to April 22, 2006
Textiles from the Garden of Eden features approximately 65 textiles with images of flowers and plants. Flowers may be identifiable, abstracted, stylized, familiar, exotic, or fanciful, while plants may recall tropical jungles or dense forests, sometimes in combination with birds or animals. Flowers and plants are among the most enduring and popular designs found on textiles, perhaps because humankind has often dreamed of an earthly paradise or Garden of Eden. This exhibition is organized by Lynn Felsher, curator of textiles at The Museum at FIT.
Modern Master: Lucien Lelong Couturier 1918-1948
February 28 to April 15, 2006
Lucien Lelong (1889-1958) was the last in a long line of couturiers who were masters of every aspect of haute couture. Unlike today's couturiers who are primarily fashion designers, Lelong combined a keen business sense with a refined eye for modern design. He hand-picked designers such as Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy and developed their talents in order to realize his vision of the fashionable woman.
For nearly thirty years, the house of Lucien Lelong epitomized Parisian elegance, with a clientele at the crossroads of international high society and the arts. Lelong's beautiful second wife, Natalie Paley -- an exiled Russian princess turned fashion model and Hollywood actress -- typified the ideal Lelong client. Others included "Baba" de Faucigny-Lucinge, the Duchess of Windsor and Marlene Dietrich.
While master-minding the design and presentation of his collections, Lelong expanded his business in innovative ways and took a leading role in his profession. In 1934 he introduced Lucien Lelong Éditions, the first couture ready-to-wear line. His fashion empire included a perfume division, Parfums Lelong, which exists to this day. As President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne during the German Occupation, Lelong was most responsible for preventing the relocation of the haute couture to Berlin, saving the jobs of thousands of skilled workers.
This exhibition is the first to examine the multi-faceted career of Lucien Lelong. Examples of Lelong sportswear, daywear and evening attire, drawn from The Museum at FIT and private collections, and archival material from the Gladys Marcus Library's Special Collections will illustrate Lucien Lelong's significant contribution to the history of fashion.
For more information, consult the website.
The Fashion and Textile History Gallery features changing selections from the Museum’s permanent collections, which are comprised of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present - with particular strength in contemporary designer fashion - some 30,000 textiles from the 6th to 21st centuries, as well as 300,000 textile swatches and 1,300 sample books. The Fashion and Textile History Gallery is organized chronologically, so that students and visitors can understand the important cultural, social, and technological changes that fashion so clearly demonstrates. In this and other respects, the gallery supplements the many classes and tours held in the Museum as well as its special exhibitions and public programs. The Museum at FIT is one of the world’s only institutions dedicated to the study of fashion and textiles and will now feature its collections year-round.
Textiles from the Garden of Eden
February 17 to April 22, 2006
Textiles from the Garden of Eden features approximately 65 textiles with images of flowers and plants. Flowers may be identifiable, abstracted, stylized, familiar, exotic, or fanciful, while plants may recall tropical jungles or dense forests, sometimes in combination with birds or animals. Flowers and plants are among the most enduring and popular designs found on textiles, perhaps because humankind has often dreamed of an earthly paradise or Garden of Eden. This exhibition is organized by Lynn Felsher, curator of textiles at The Museum at FIT.
Modern Master: Lucien Lelong Couturier 1918-1948
February 28 to April 15, 2006
Lucien Lelong (1889-1958) was the last in a long line of couturiers who were masters of every aspect of haute couture. Unlike today's couturiers who are primarily fashion designers, Lelong combined a keen business sense with a refined eye for modern design. He hand-picked designers such as Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy and developed their talents in order to realize his vision of the fashionable woman.
For nearly thirty years, the house of Lucien Lelong epitomized Parisian elegance, with a clientele at the crossroads of international high society and the arts. Lelong's beautiful second wife, Natalie Paley -- an exiled Russian princess turned fashion model and Hollywood actress -- typified the ideal Lelong client. Others included "Baba" de Faucigny-Lucinge, the Duchess of Windsor and Marlene Dietrich.
While master-minding the design and presentation of his collections, Lelong expanded his business in innovative ways and took a leading role in his profession. In 1934 he introduced Lucien Lelong Éditions, the first couture ready-to-wear line. His fashion empire included a perfume division, Parfums Lelong, which exists to this day. As President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne during the German Occupation, Lelong was most responsible for preventing the relocation of the haute couture to Berlin, saving the jobs of thousands of skilled workers.
This exhibition is the first to examine the multi-faceted career of Lucien Lelong. Examples of Lelong sportswear, daywear and evening attire, drawn from The Museum at FIT and private collections, and archival material from the Gladys Marcus Library's Special Collections will illustrate Lucien Lelong's significant contribution to the history of fashion.
For more information, consult the website.
Upcoming Lectures at the Museum at FIT
Here are the upcoming lectures at the Museum at FIT.
The Lelong Women Who Made Fashion
Friday, March 31 6:00pm
Vogue editor Bettina Ballard remembered Princess “Baba” de Faucigny-Lucinge, Marie-Laure de Noailles, and Princess Natalie Paley as “the women who made fashion” in Paris during the 1930s. All three were clients of Lucien Lelong, and Princess Paley was the couturier’s wife. This illustrated lecture will feature them and other influential Lelong clients such as Marlene Dietrich and Mrs. Cole Porter, and discuss the development of the glamorous Lelong image.
Fashion and Textile History Gallery: Talk & Tour
Monday, April 3 6:00pm
Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, will discuss the conception and importance of the new permanent gallery of fashion and textile history.
Textiles from the Garden of Eden: Talk & Tour
Saturday, April 8 5:00pm
Carol Bier, research curator at The Textile Museum in Washington DC, and vice president of The Textile Society of America, is recognized for her studies of patterns as intersections of art and mathematics. She will guide you through the exhibition, addressing the representation of floral and plant forms in the textile arts.
Workshop: Sketching MFIT's Collections
Adapting/Reinventing Vintage Looks for Today's Fashion
Mondays: April 17, April 24, May 1 6:00pm
Improve your design and sketching skills, or your clothing and accessory lines, with the Fashion and Textile History Gallery as your source of inspiration. Strengthen your eye, hand, and creativity quotient with drawing exercises, and learn how to use historical elements to invent fresh concepts. Led by Michele Bryant, FIT professor of Fashion Design – Art.
For more information, consult the website.
The Lelong Women Who Made Fashion
Friday, March 31 6:00pm
Vogue editor Bettina Ballard remembered Princess “Baba” de Faucigny-Lucinge, Marie-Laure de Noailles, and Princess Natalie Paley as “the women who made fashion” in Paris during the 1930s. All three were clients of Lucien Lelong, and Princess Paley was the couturier’s wife. This illustrated lecture will feature them and other influential Lelong clients such as Marlene Dietrich and Mrs. Cole Porter, and discuss the development of the glamorous Lelong image.
Fashion and Textile History Gallery: Talk & Tour
Monday, April 3 6:00pm
Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, will discuss the conception and importance of the new permanent gallery of fashion and textile history.
Textiles from the Garden of Eden: Talk & Tour
Saturday, April 8 5:00pm
Carol Bier, research curator at The Textile Museum in Washington DC, and vice president of The Textile Society of America, is recognized for her studies of patterns as intersections of art and mathematics. She will guide you through the exhibition, addressing the representation of floral and plant forms in the textile arts.
Workshop: Sketching MFIT's Collections
Adapting/Reinventing Vintage Looks for Today's Fashion
Mondays: April 17, April 24, May 1 6:00pm
Improve your design and sketching skills, or your clothing and accessory lines, with the Fashion and Textile History Gallery as your source of inspiration. Strengthen your eye, hand, and creativity quotient with drawing exercises, and learn how to use historical elements to invent fresh concepts. Led by Michele Bryant, FIT professor of Fashion Design – Art.
For more information, consult the website.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Today's NYT Styles
There were several interesting articles in today's New York Times Styles Section.
the latest men's wear trend: The Shrunken Suit
Author David Colman offers several positive aspects of this new trend, including:
See also articles on the first performance-enhanced textiles for Golf wear; how to build your belt wardrobe, and the new direction at Gucci...
the latest men's wear trend: The Shrunken Suit
A suit jacket's standard length is usually held to be 78 or 79 centimeters
(about 31 inches), but these designers have shaved from 1 to 5 inches off the bottom.
Ditto pants, which bare not only the ankle but, horrors, a bit of shin.
(about 31 inches), but these designers have shaved from 1 to 5 inches off the bottom.
Ditto pants, which bare not only the ankle but, horrors, a bit of shin.
Author David Colman offers several positive aspects of this new trend, including:
- the short suit works well un-nested, as a cross-over element
- compliments the smaller proportion of accessories showed by Los Angeles designers
- less "business" than a traditional suit - goes from day to evening
- ideal for men 5'7" to 5'11" with a trim, narrow frame
The reason clothing design is not protected under copyright or trademark law in the United States is that it is considered foremost as a utilitarian item, not an artistic expression or scientific invention... But the [CFDA] argues that the legal principle exempting fashion from copyright protection — a 200-year-old idea that useful objects should be unregulated to encourage the growth of industry — is outdated in this era of sophisticated mass copying.
Of course, there are strong feelings on all sides of this issue. The author adds an interesting side note to our study of Ralph Lauren:
European laws have been more favorable to designers, although with tangled results.
Yves Saint Laurent sued Ralph Lauren in 1994 in a Paris court over Mr. Lauren's design
of a tuxedo dress. Mr. Lauren was found guilty of copying and fined roughly $300,000.
At the same time a Saint Laurent executive was found guilty of denigrating Mr. Lauren's character and fined $90,000.
Yves Saint Laurent sued Ralph Lauren in 1994 in a Paris court over Mr. Lauren's design
of a tuxedo dress. Mr. Lauren was found guilty of copying and fined roughly $300,000.
At the same time a Saint Laurent executive was found guilty of denigrating Mr. Lauren's character and fined $90,000.
See also articles on the first performance-enhanced textiles for Golf wear; how to build your belt wardrobe, and the new direction at Gucci...
it's surprising to hear someone sound almost relieved that the style of [Tom Ford's] successor, Frida Giannini, doesn't immediately suggest an orgy or, as Mr. Ford once put it,
an impulse to "pour hot wax over your lover and stradle him."
an impulse to "pour hot wax over your lover and stradle him."
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