The Museum at FIT

One of the many things I love about New York City is the ability to enjoy a lot of what the city has to offer on a budget.  In fact, there are plenty of things to do and see at no cost – just the way I like it.  The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, located 7^th Avenue (or so-called Fashion Avenue), is one of several museums that are free to public.  Although small, the museum offers visitors insight into the fascinating world of fashion through its various exhibitions and permanent collections.

The Body: Fashion and Physique exhibition is an interesting look at the relationship between fashion and culture, specifically cultural norms related to the human body.  A thought-provoking concept presented in the description of the exhibition is that of the fashionable body as a “cultural construct that has shifted throughout history”.  The garments and undergarments on display take visitors on a journey through these shifting ideals of the perfect form and ways in which fashion has responded to those norms while at the same time also shaping them – literally.  A quote from Vogue magazine from the 1950s, which appears in the information brochure for the exhibition, sums up this interconnectedness perfectly: “We tend, in these times, in this country, to think of a beautiful body only in terms of a perfect ‘figure’.  A ‘figure’…is considered good or bad only as related to clothing generally, and current fashions specifically.”  It was fascinating to take this visual walk back in time through the examples of the fashionable or ideal body types that dominated various periods.  

The other current exhibition is titled Norell: Dean of American Fashion and features over 100 looks from the iconic American designer, who designed sophisticated garments for movie stars and politicians’ wives.  According to the brochure that accompanies the exhibition, he was a pioneer in American couture techniques and “one of the primary creators to profoundly alter existing perceptions about New York’s Seventh Avenue garment industry” which had been referred to as the “rag trade”.  The garments are beautifully displayed in a dark room with subtle lighting to highlight the beautiful lines and fabrics.  Some of the highlights of the exhibition include the collection of shimmering “mermaid” evening gowns, his reinvented sailor suits and the structured wool coats and capes.  It was a truly captivating snapshot into the life and career of a talented designer, who deserves the title “Dean of American Fashion”.