Episodes

Monday Jul 31, 2023
Fashion is Spinach: The Life and Work of Elizabeth Hawes | Fashion Culture
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Elizabeth Hawes is known for her timeless fashion designs and her written critique of the fashion system, such as in her 1940 book Fashion is Spinach. In this conversation moderated by author and podcaster April Calahan, professors and fashion historians Lourdes Font (FIT) and Francesca Granata (The New School) discuss the importance of Hawes in American fashion. She was an American designer, author, labor organizer, and social critic whose ideas many praise to be decades before her time. Over the course of her career, Hawes questioned the division between menswear and womenswear, advocated for what we call today “slow fashion", designed elegant yet practical pieces, and sought to reform working conditions in the fashion industry.
(Recorded March 7, 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

Monday Nov 02, 2020
Technology and the Future of Fashion | Fashion Culture
Monday Nov 02, 2020
Monday Nov 02, 2020
On October 16, 2019, model Veronica Webb and Rory Tahari, the CEO and founder of State of Mind Partners, discussed the future of fashion and the impact of digital technology. Drawing on their decades of fashion experience, Webb and Tahari addressed blogging, online/mobile shopping, and innovative manufacturing methods, such as 3D printing and robotic sewing.
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

Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Mexican Rose | Fashion Culture
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
For The Museum at FIT's Pink Symposium, Tanya Melendez-Escalante, MFIT senior curator of education and public program, explored the history of the color “Mexican pink” and how it has been used by fashion designers and architects from Mexico.
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

Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
From Sylph to Swan: The Tutu and Fashion | Fashion Culture
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at FIT, explores the history of the tutu in ballet and fashion at The Museum at FIT's 14th annual fashion symposium, Dance & Fashion, held on October 23 & 24, 2014. This symposium explored how dance costume has inspired fashion, and how fashion designers have increasingly been creating dance costumes.
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

Saturday Feb 29, 2020
Ballet Shoes: Function, Fashion, and Fetish | Fashion Culture
Saturday Feb 29, 2020
Saturday Feb 29, 2020
Colleen Hill, curator of costume and accessories at The Museum at FIT, discusses the romance and femininity but also discipline and pain of ballet shoes.
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

Friday Feb 14, 2020
A Conversation with Liya Kebede | Fashion Culture
Friday Feb 14, 2020
Friday Feb 14, 2020
Accomplished supermodel and designer Liya Kebede joins MFIT Assistant Curator of Costume Elizabeth Way to talk about lemlem, Kebede’s collection of women’s, men’s, children’s clothing, and home goods made entirely in Africa. The core collection is handwoven from natural cotton sourced in Kebede’s native Ethiopia. Women artisans are at the heart of lemlem, and the brand is committed to helping them find health care, education, and jobs through the lemlem Foundation.
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

Monday Feb 03, 2020
Careers in Fashion Media | Fashion Culture
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Elizabeth Way, in conversation with Teri Agins, Dario Calmese, and Constance White discusses the evolving field of fashion journalism at The Museum at FIT's Black Fashion Designers symposium held on Monday, February 6, 2017. The one-day symposium featured talks by designers, models, journalists, and scholars on African diasporic culture and fashion.
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

Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
50 Years of The Museum at FIT | Fashion Culture
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Dr. Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill reflect on past exhibitions at The Museum at FIT in celebration of its 50th anniversary. This talk was originally presented at the Exhibiting Fashion symposium on Friday, March 8, 2019. This symposium explored the history of fashion curating, the different ways fashion is displayed in museum settings, and how national and regional identities influence fashion exhibitions.
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

Monday Nov 11, 2019
Cult of the Designer | Fashion Culture
Monday Nov 11, 2019
Monday Nov 11, 2019
In conjunction with the exhibition Paris, Capital of Fashion, The Museum at FIT is publishing Paris related content to its Fashion Culture podcast. Episodes will feature past Fashion Culture programs exploring Paris designers and historical events, as well as original commentary about the exhibition from Dr. Valerie Steele.
In this episode, Dr. Valerie Steele introduces the section of the exhibition titled Cult of the Designer. Taking a look at famous fashion houses such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Balmain, Givenchy, and others, Steele explores how the heritage of these names have become so powerful.
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

Monday Nov 04, 2019
New York vs Paris | Fashion Culture
Monday Nov 04, 2019
Monday Nov 04, 2019
In conjunction with the exhibition Paris, Capital of Fashion, The Museum at FIT is publishing Paris related content to its Fashion Culture podcast. Episodes will feature past Fashion Culture programs exploring Paris designers and historical events, as well as original commentary about the exhibition from Dr. Valerie Steele.
In this episode, Dr. Valerie Steele explores New York, Paris, and other global fashion capitals as not just competitors but collaborators.
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