The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture Podcast

Alexander McQueen: Unseen | Fashion Culture

“I think there's something quite magical about when you're backstage. And it's not quite seeing behind the magician's curtain, it's more like you know seeing the play from the inside out I guess? ... [McQueen's] backstage was so different to other shows. He was totally hands-on ... and he was involved in everything. He was totally focused and the same obviously was true of all his staff and the interns," explains Alexander McQueen enthusiast John Matheson.

Alexander McQueen’s spectacular shows were full of extraordinary moments and people. In this podcast episode, author and photographer Robert Fairer discusses McQueen’s runway shows with writer and consultant John Matheson (of Instagram's @McQueen_Vault). The 2021 conversation, moderated by MFIT’s senior curator of education Tanya Melendez-Escalante, addressed Fairer's book, "Alexander McQueen: Unseen." Fairer was Vogue's backstage fashion photographer for more than a decade and an integral part of the whirl of activity behind the scenes. 

Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Are We Latinx? Constructs of Inclusivity | Fashion Culture

In this conversation between designer Willy Chavarria, professor Aída Hurtado and MFIT’s education curator Tanya Meléndez-Escalante they discuss the term Latinx and its constructs of inclusivity.

This talk was part of The Museum at FIT's fashion symposium “Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion” that was held on October 7, 2022. 

Watch the full video with captions on YouTube. | Read Transcript (PDF)

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Africa's Fashion Diaspora

The Museum at FIT's Associate Curator of Costume Elizabeth Way sits down with Digital Media Manager Tamsen Young to discuss Africa’s Fashion Diaspora. From past exhibitions to featured designers and objects, Way shares her inspiration and process for curating the exhibition. Together, they delve into the central themes of Africa’s Fashion Diaspora and introduce listeners to the exhibition’s world of diasporic crossings. 

Africa’s Fashion Diaspora is on view from September 18 - December 29, 2024. 

Transcript (pdf)

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Image: Mme. Willie Posey, two-piece rayon set in zebra and leopard print, c. 1970, USA, museum purchase

 

Spectacle: Runway Fashion on Parade | Fashion Culture

“‘Cat Walks’ as they became known were transformed into eye-popping theatrical productions to showcase equally dramatic and one-of-a-kind garments. They became increasingly celebrity driven as well as a form of entertainment for the masses.” - Patricia Mears

In this podcast episode, MFIT Deputy Director Patricia Mears provides an intimate account of several groundbreaking runway shows from the 1990s that she witnessed firsthand. She also describes those she did not attend, but which nonetheless had a profound influence on her burgeoning understanding of fashion. This talk was part of The Museum at FIT's 26th academic symposium “Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties” that was held on February 11, 2022.

Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Illustration by Ruben Toledo.

Anna Sui: Fashion Design and Interior Decoration | Fashion Culture

When it comes to creativity, fashion designer Anna Sui explains, “I’m like a magpie. If I see something shiny or something that attracts me, I have to look at it and touch it. I could see a fabric, and suddenly I can see a collection.”

Anna Sui is known for her contemporary reimagining of historic textiles and vintage clothing. In this month’s Fashion Culture Podcast episode, Sui is interviewed by MFIT’s deputy director Patricia Mears. They discuss how Anna Sui first got interested in fashion and what inspires her today. This event was recorded on April 28, 2023. 

Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Photograph by Migue Flores-Vianna. Courtesy of Elle Décor

Undressing Fashion Conservation | Statement Sleeves

Before fashion objects can be exhibited, they are first examined by a textile conservator. If the condition of the object is too poor to be mounted or dressed safely, or too visually degraded to provide value in an exhibition, museum conservators conduct specialized treatments. They might stabilize an area of weakness or return an object to its original appearance as much as possible. 

In this conversation, the curator of MFIT’s Statement Sleeves, Dr. Colleen Hill, and assistant conservator, Callie O’Connor, discuss the hidden work of the conservator on three key fashion displays in the exhibition. 

Learn more about the exhibition Statement Sleeves. | Read Transcript (PDF)

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith | Fashion Culture

Paul Martineau, curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum, and author of the new book "Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith," joins David Campany, ICP curator at large, in conversation. They discuss the work of photographers Rodney Smith (1947-2016) and William Klein (1926-2022) and what makes fashion photography art. This event was held September 27, 2023.

Read Transcript (PDF) | Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Image: Rodney Smith, “Reed Leaping Over Rooftop, New York, New York,” 2007.

SHOWStudio's Nick Knight in conversation with Amy de la Haye about his rose photography | Fashion Culture

Nick Knight and Amy de la Haye engage in a conversation about his photographs of roses for The Museum at FIT's 24th academic symposium Ravishing: The Rose in Fashion held on April 30, 2021. This virtual event explored how the beauty, mythology, and symbolism of the rose have long influenced fashionable dress. #RoseInFashion

Nick Knight OBE is one of the world's most visionary, innovative and creative image makers. Working primarily in the realms of fashion and style, his award-winning images have been instrumental in challenging conventional notions of beauty and identity. In order to champion fashion film and develop a forum to explore experimental technologies, he launched what was to become the award-winning SHOWStudio website in 2000. He has developed his passion for posting iPhone photographs of “Roses from my Garden” on Instagram to create major unique artworks that explore AI.

Amy de la Haye is Professor of Dress History & Curatorship and Joint Director of the Centre for Fashion Curation at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. She has worked as a curator, interpreting museum collections and archives for thirty years; from 1990 to 1991 she was Curator of 20th Century Dress at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She has published extensively on subjects including British fashion, curatorship and practices of collecting; the Women’s Land Army; subcultures; the Worth archive and is author of the V&A’s "Clara Button" books for children. Her next major project involves working, with Simon Costin, on a series of exhibitions on British folklore costume.

Watch the video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Image: "Sunday 6th, November 2016."  Courtesy of Nick Knight.

Stylist Misa Hylton in Conversation with FIT's Elena Romero | Fashion Culture

Leading celebrity stylist Misa Hylton joined FIT professor Elena Romero in conversation on November 17, 2022. Hylton is acclaimed for creating iconic looks such as the purple pastie-and-pantsuit ensemble worn by Lil’ Kim at MTV’s 1999 Video Music Awards and Beyoncé’s leather MCM bustier and trench coat worn in the 2018 “Apesh*t” music video. Hylton’s past clients include Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, Faith Evans,  and Kimora Lee Simmons. She is the founder of the Misa Hylton Fashion Academy, which offers education for creatives looking to build a successful career in the fashion world.

Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Image courtesy of Misa Hylton.

Stella Jean in Conversation with Dr. Valerie Steele | Fashion Culture

In February of 2021, Stella Jean, the Italian-Haitian fashion designer, joined Dr. Valerie Steele, director of MFIT, for a discussion on expanding diversity in the Italian fashion system. Stella Jean, whose clients include Rihanna and Beyoncé, collaborates with artisans in Africa and Haiti, and has been an advocate for Black designers in Italy.

 

Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum