Shows
The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastTelevision's Most Stylish Shows with Hal Rubenstein | Fashion CultureCostume design can make or break a character or TV show. Author, consultant, fashion director, and media personality Hal Rubenstein shares amusing insights about the most influential fashion on television from the 1950s to today. Based on research from his book Dressing the Part: Television's Most Stylish Shows, Mr. Rubenstein reveals the surprising ways our favorite shows have reflected and often shaped the way we dress. He is joined by costume designer Eric Daman, whose work includes looks for the TV show Gossip Girl.
This talk was recorded February 15, 2024.
Watch the full video with captions...2025-07-011h 04The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastHilfiger and Hip Hop Artists | Fashion CultureAndy Hilfiger reminisces with MFIT curator Elizabeth Way about the early days of Tommy Hilfiger and how Hip Hop artists incorporated the brand into their style. This talk was part of MFIT’s 2023 fashion symposium Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style.
Andy Hilfiger has been blurring the lines between music and fashion for decades. He began his fashion career at 12, selling jeans at his brother Tommy Hilfiger's first business, The People's Place. Hilfiger relocated to New York City to perform in the downtown rock scene. He was instrumental in introducing the Tommy Hilfiger br...2025-06-0126 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastSustainable Solutions: Circularity in Fashion Businesses | Fashion CultureWhat is circular design and how does it fit in the fashion industry? A circular economy is a production and consumption model that emphasizes sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling materials and products to extend their lifecycle. Lauren B. Fay and Cynthia Power discuss the work of brands and retailers working in this way and answer some great audience questions.
This talk was recorded September 26, 2024.
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://ww...2025-05-011h 00The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastObjects of Wonder in "Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities" | Fashion CultureThe Museum at FIT's current exhibition Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities is all about sparking awe. In conversation with Randy Cohen of the podcast “Person Place Thing,” Dr. Colleen Hill, MFIT’s curator of costume, discusses how three objects from the exhibition piqued her own curiosity. Cohen's interview approach is to delve into what people are most passionate about, showing that the most captivating conversations happen when we talk about something we care deeply about – not just ourselves.
This conversation was recorded as part of MFIT's Fashion Culture program series on March 4, 2025.
Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet...2025-04-0158 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastCarolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion | Fashion CultureFor #WomensHistoryMonth, listen in to this MFIT Fashion Culture Podcast episode highlighting Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s life and influence as a business woman, muse, and style icon. This conversation between fashion creative director Sunita Kumar Nair and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb was recorded at a 2024 MFIT Fashion Culture program.
Sunita Kumar Nair is the author of CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, which gathers the greats of the fashion world to speak about Bessette Kennedy's timeless style.
As chief executive of the CFDA, Steven Kolb is a driving force behind New York Fashion Week and many initiatives for...2025-03-0136 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastHip Hop History with Ralph McDaniels of Video Music Box | Fashion Culture“We wanna be fabulous. We wanna be fly. We wanna be fresh!” declares Ralph McDaniels.
For #BlackHistoryMonth we’re excited to share this conversation between Video Music Box co-creator Ralph McDaniels and FIT professor and author Elena Romero about the styles, sounds, and scene of early hip hop in NYC.
Ralph McDaniels is the founder and curator of the Video Music Box, which airs on NYC-TV, (channel 25 or 22). McDaniels, also known as "Uncle Ralph," has directed and produced over 400 music videos, and co-produced the films Juice (1992) and You’re Watching Video Music Box (Showtime, 2021). McDaniels's microphon...2025-02-0134 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastSimon Porte Jacquemus | Fashion CultureSimon Porte Jacquemus, who was born in the South of France and is now based in Paris, established his eponymous brand in 2009 with no formal training, dedicating the brand to the memory of his late mother. A passion for art and the decorative arts informs his creativity, inspiring the JACQUEMUS men's and women's ready-to-wear and accessories collections that reference French culture and universal gestures of beauty: from fine art photography, painting, and sculpture.
The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT honored Simon Porte Jacquemus with its 2024 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion during its annual lu...2024-12-0132 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastAlexander 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...2024-11-0137 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastAre We Latinx? Constructs of Inclusivity | Fashion CultureIn 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
2024-10-0127 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastAfrica's Fashion Diaspora | Fashion CultureThe 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...2024-09-0311 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastSpectacle: 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 Restlessne...2024-08-0118 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastAnna Sui: Fashion Design and Interior Decoration | Fashion CultureWhen 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 2...2024-07-0133 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastUndressing Fashion Conservation | Statement SleevesBefore 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.
...2024-06-0114 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastRodney Smith: A Leap of Faith | Fashion CulturePaul 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: R...2024-05-0143 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastSHOWStudio's Nick Knight in conversation with Amy de la Haye about his rose photography | Fashion CultureNick 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...2024-04-0130 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastStylist Misa Hylton in Conversation with FIT's Elena Romero | Fashion CultureLeading 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 wit...2024-03-011h 01The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastStella Jean in Conversation with Dr. Valerie Steele | Fashion CultureIn 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
2024-02-0127 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastNicole Miller in conversation with Valerie Steele | Fashion CultureNew York-based fashion designer, Nicole Miller joined Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, in conversation to discuss Miller’s career in fashion. After studying at Rhode Island School of Design and mastering the classic French techniques of Haute Couture while at Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, Miller founded her namesake brand in 1982. Her vision is grounded in empowering women who want to look and feel their best, while also making the world a better place through her philanthropy. Miller’s designs have been seen on Beyoncé, Blake Lively, Miley Cyrus, Keke...2023-12-0146 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastRadio Cherry Bombe: A conversation about Food & Fashion with Kerry DiamondIn a special collaboration with Radio Cherry Bombe, host Kerry Diamond interviews Melissa Marra-Alvarez and Elizabeth Way, curators of The Museum at FIT exhibition Food & Fashion. Together, they discuss Elsa Schiaparelli’s lobster dress, Rachel Antonoff’s pasta puffer, this summer’s grocery girl trend, and more. This episode first launched on Radio Cherry Bombe’s podcast on September 18, 2023.
View transcript (PDF) | Learn more about Radio Cherry Bombe
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
Intro music...2023-11-0129 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastCurating ”¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today” | Fashion CultureCo-curators of ¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion– Tanya Meléndez-Escalante and Melissa Marra-Alvarez – discuss their curatorial process in putting together the exhibition, which showcased the fashion contributions of designers of Latin American descent. On view from May 31 - August 27, 2023, the exhibition was organized into thematic sections such as art, craftsmanship, elegance, gender, Indigenous heritage, politics, popular culture, and sustainability. It sought to challenge stereotypes about fashion by designers of Latin American heritage, moving away from a notion of a singular Latin American style and drawing attention to a diversity of talent.
View transcript (PDF)
The M...2023-10-0116 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastGabriela Hearst in conversation with Valerie Steele | Fashion CultureRecorded in 2021, Uruguayan-born fashion designer Gabriela Hearst takes a stroll down memory lane with Dr. Valerie Steele as they discuss how growing up on the family ranch influenced Hearst’s designs as well as how she rolled out not one but three collections during the pandemic.
She is the winner of the 2016/2017 International Woolmark Prize for Womenswear, the 2020 CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, and the recipient of the 2023 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion.
(Recorded October 4, 2021)
Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.
The Museum at...2023-09-0124 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashion is Spinach: The Life and Work of Elizabeth Hawes | Fashion Culture
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", de...2023-07-311h 00The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFran Lebowitz in conversation with Valerie Steele | Fashion CultureIn 2013, The Museum at FIT hosted its A Queer History of Fashion symposium in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name. The cultural commentator Fran Lebowitz was one of the more than twenty participants, and she joined Valerie Steele to discuss – in her quintessential acerbic style – Marlene Dietrich suits, San Francisco vs New York, the appeal of leather, and recurring ("horrible") fashions.
(Recorded Friday, November 8, 2013)
View transcript.
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
2023-06-2729 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastWhat Becomes a Legend Most: A Biography of Richard Avedon | Fashion CulturePhilip Gefter’s book What Becomes a Legend Most: A Biography of Richard Avedon is a study of the legendary photographer’s life. A fashion photographer and portrait artist, Avedon’s subjects included some of the most notable figures of the twentieth century including James Baldwin, Audrey Hepburn, Truman Capote, and Marilyn Monroe, as well as iconic models such as Donyale Luna and Jean Shrimpton. The book offers a detailed and luminous portrait of the man and his era. Gefter talks with MFIT curator Melissa Marra-Alvarez about Avedon’s early years and his transformative work for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue...2021-08-0148 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastZandra Rhodes: 50 Fabulous Years in Fashion | Fashion Culture
In 2019, Zandra Rhodes and Fern Mallis discussed "Zandra Rhodes: 50 Fabulous Years in Fashion," a book that celebrates Rhodes' 50-year career in fashion and textile design. Both a fashion trailblazer and a consummate textile designer, Zandra Rhodes influences the work of contemporary labels such as Mary Katrantzou and Alice Temperley. The book honors the centrality of textile design in Rhodes’s work, while exploring the versatility of her imagination throughout her long career.
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...2021-07-0136 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashion Metropolis Berlin | Fashion CultureBerlin was a fashion capital in the 1920s, with hundreds of thriving clothing manufacturers, most of them Jewish, before it was destroyed by the Nazis. Author Uwe Westphal shares this history in a discussion with FIT historian Keren Ben-Horin and journalist Jennifer Altmann, whose grandfather ran one of Berlin’s fashion houses. Organized in collaboration with the Museum at Eldridge Street.
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
2021-04-0118 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastLauren Fay in Conversation with Ronald van der Kemp | Fashion CultureCouture designer Ronald van der Kemp and The New Fashion Initiative founder Lauren B. Fay discuss van der Kemp's career and his devotion to craftsmanship, upcycling and reducing waste in fashion.
Ronald van der Kemp is a Dutch fashion designer and founder of demi-couture fashion house RVDK, his namesake label, which shows at Paris Couture week and uses exclusively upcycled fabric. Lauren Fay has spent her career committed to improving sustainability, transparency and accountability in the fashion industry. The New Fashion Initiative (TNFI) was born out of a need to create a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach...2021-03-0138 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastJeffrey Gibson and Korina Emmerich in Conversation | Fashion CultureOn November 5, 2022, Regan de Loggans (Mississippi Choctaw) moderated a conversation with Jeffrey Gibson and Korina Emmerich. Each discussed their experience working as Native Americans in creative industries, weaving in current issues of diversity and sustainability. Gibson is an award-winning Choctaw-Cherokee artist, whose work combines traditional Native American elements with contemporary references. Emmerich is the founder of EMME, a fashion brand, which reflects her indigenous heritage stemming from the Coast Salish territory, Puyallup tribe.
Watch the full video with captions on YouTube.
The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the...2021-02-0139 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashion and Political Power with Robin Givhan | Fashion CulturePulitzer Prize–winning journalist Robin Givhan, in conversation with Dr. Valerie Steele, discuss the current relationship between fashion, politics, and power. Drawing on her experience as The Washington Post's senior critic-at-large, Givhan addresses such potent sartorial symbols as the Hawaiian and golf shirts worn by the boogaloo boys and the yellow ensembles worn by mothers protesting in Portland.
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
2021-01-1432 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastPrabal Gurung in conversation with Valerie Steele | Fashion CultureOn September 15, 2020, Fashion designer Prabal Gurung and MFIT Director Valerie Steele discussed the designer's innovative and international career. With over 80 percent of his collections made in New York, Gurung is committed to sustaining domestic employment, income, and production. His family’s Shikshya Foundation Nepal provides education to children to impact his country’s future.
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
2020-12-0235 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastTechnology and the Future of Fashion | Fashion CultureOn 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
2020-11-0235 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastMexican Rose | Fashion CultureFor 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
2020-10-0116 min
Creative Conversations with Suzy MenkesVALERIE STEELE: F.I.T. NEW YORKFor the second season of Creative Conversations with Suzy Menkes, the first four episodes are dedicated to the four fashion capitals – New York, London, Milan and Paris – which are busy getting ready for Spring/Summer 2021 Ready-To-Wear.In episode 1, Suzy is joined by Valerie Steele, the indomitable Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, where she has presented more than 25 blockbuster exhibitions since joining FIT in 1997.Steele has been a leading figure in raising international awareness of the cultural significance of fashion, and is a noted academic in t...2020-09-0935 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastPerson Place Thing | Fashion CultureRandy Cohen, creator of the public radio program Person Place Thing, says his guests are at their most engaging when they talk about whatever they find most meaningful. In an interview recorded for broadcast, Cohen asks MFIT Director Valerie Steele about her own most memorable person, place, and thing.
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
2020-08-311h 05The Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastStephen Jones in conversation with Colleen Hill | Fashion CultureStephen Jones is a milliner whose exquisitely crafted, quixotic hats attract a celebrity clientele that includes Rihanna, Mick Jagger, and Dita Von Teese. In this conversation with MFIT curator, Colleen Hill, Jones shares stories on how he came into millinery and why people wear hats.
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
2020-08-0321 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastAntonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco Q&A | Fashion CultureAntonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco is an electrifying documentary that follows fashion illustrator (and FIT alumnus) Antonio Lopez from New York to Paris between 1969 and 1973. Alexander Joseph, Hue Magazine managing editor, leads a Q&A with the film's director Paul Caranicas and models Pat Cleveland and Corey Tippen.
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
2020-07-0137 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastStraight/Curve Film Discussion | Fashion CultureThe documentary Straight/Curve offers an unflinching look into the body image crisis in the world of modeling. Listen as director Jenny McQuaile and Meredith Rollins, editor in chief of Redbook magazine, discuss topics addressed in the film.
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
2020-06-0133 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFrida Kahlo: Fashion as the Art of Being | Fashion CultureSusana Martinez Vidal, author of Frida Kahlo: Fashion as the Art of Being, presents the 20 fashion lessons she learned from Frida Kahlo.
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
2020-04-3018 min
Smarty Pants#124: Dressing for DisasterThe COVID-19 pandemic exposes just how connected the world is, while, at the same time, circumscribing our individual worlds much more. How do we dress for these new circumstances, where our trips outside the house are limited to neighborhood walks and forays into the yard? Our guest today, Shahidha Bari, has been thinking deeply about how we interact with our clothes since long before the current pandemic. She’s a professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion and a fellow of the Forum for European Philosophy at the London School of Economics. Her new book, Dr...2020-04-1022 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFrom Sylph to Swan: The Tutu and Fashion | Fashion CulturePatricia 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
2020-04-0125 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastBallet Shoes: Function, Fashion, and Fetish | Fashion CultureColleen 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
2020-03-0120 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastA Conversation with Liya Kebede | Fashion Culture
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...2020-02-1433 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastCareers in Fashion Media | Fashion CultureElizabeth 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
2020-02-0332 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture Podcast50 Years of The Museum at FIT | Fashion CultureDr. 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/museum2019-12-1728 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastScholarship and Curation | Fashion CultureThe Museum at FIT presented Exhibiting Fashion, its twenty-first academic 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. The symposium was organized in conjunction with Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT, which commemorated the rich history of the museum, the site of more than 200 exhibitions since the 1970s.
Dr. Christopher Breward was appointed director of collection and research at the National Galleries of Scotland in 2017. He was previously the principal of Edinburgh College of Art.2019-12-0226 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashion, Art, and Luxury in Paris | Fashion CultureIn 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 Fashion, Art, and Luxury in modern and contemporary Paris.
View Transcript
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
2019-11-1809 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastCult of the Designer | Fashion CultureIn 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.
2019-11-1115 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastNew York vs Paris | Fashion CultureIn 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.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fi...2019-11-0416 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastBirth of the Haute Couture | Fashion CultureIn 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, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, discusses the birth of the haute couture.
View Transcript
The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://ww...2019-10-2812 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFrom the Splendor of the Royal Court to the Spectacle of the Haute Couture | Fashion CultureIn 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, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, discusses the trajectory from the splendor at the royal court to the spectacle of the haute couture and explores the history of the beginning of Paris becoming a fashion capital.
View Transcript...2019-10-2113 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastThe Battle of Versailles | Fashion CultureRobin Givhan, Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic for the Washington Post, presents her first book, The Battle of Versailles. Givhan, in conversation with Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at FIT, shares the story of a 1973 face-off at the Palace of Versailles between five American designers (Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows, Bill Blass, Halston, and Oscar de la Renta) and five French designers (Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin among them).
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in Ne...2019-10-1457 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastOn Patrick Kelly: Dr. Monica Miller and Eric Darnell Pritchard | Fashion CultureDr. Monica Miller and Eric Darnell Pritchard, in conversation about Patrick Kelly at The Museum at FIT's annual fashion symposium, Black Fashion Designers, held on Monday, February 6, 2017. The one-day symposium featured talks by designers, models, journalists, and scholars on African diasporic culture and fashion.
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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
2019-10-0340 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastChristian Louboutin in conversation with Dr. Valerie SteeleOn Wednesday, September 4, 2019, the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT honored iconic footwear designer Christian Louboutin with its 2019 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion at a luncheon at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. After the luncheon, Louboutin joined Dr. Valerie Steele for an intimate conversation on his career.
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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
2019-09-1738 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastParis Fashion: A Cultural History | Fashion CultureOn October 17, 2017, Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT, presented an in-depth look at the new edition of her book, Paris Fashion: A Cultural History. First published in 1988, this revised and expanded work explores the reasons Paris is considered the capital of fashion.
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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
2019-09-0439 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastModest Body Politics | Fashion CultureReina Lewis presents “Modest Body Politics: Faith, Fashion, and Ethnicity” at The Museum at FIT's 19th fashion symposium, Fashion and Physique, held on Friday, February 23, 2018. The one-day symposium featured lectures and panels on topics such as the emergence of the plus-size fashion industry in the early twentieth century, the impact of popular culture on how we assess the female body, and fashion accessibility for the disabled in the technological age.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New Yo...2019-08-2023 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashion from the Extreme | Fashion CulturePatricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at FIT, presents "Fashion from the Extreme: The Poles, Highest Peaks, and Beyond" at The Museum at FIT's 18th fashion symposium, Fashion, Science, and Exploration, held on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. The daylong event explored the impact of scientific thought on fashion in conjunction with two current MFIT exhibitions Expedition: Fashion from the Extreme and Force of Nature.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museu...2019-07-1817 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastA Queer History of Fashion | Fashion CultureDr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, presents "A Queer History of Fashion" at The Museum at FIT's 13th fashion symposium, held November 8-9, 2013. The symposium was presented in conjunction with the exhibition A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk, the first museum exhibition to explore in depth the significant contributions to fashion made by LGBTQ individuals over the past 300 years.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in Ne...2019-06-2523 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastNew Directions in Menswear | Fashion CultureOn March 16, 2017, Alexander Joseph, editor of FIT’s Hue magazine, moderated a lively conversation about the diverse future of menswear with four designers: Auston Björkman, founder of Sir New York, a “gender nonspecific menswear” firm; Andrew Morrison, winner of the 2016 Out magazine Fashion Vanguard Award; and Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough, who draw on their military and athletic backgrounds for their forward thinking tailoring and sportswear using natural textiles.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New Yor...2019-06-0648 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastThe Explorer’s Club: A Brief History | Fashion CultureLacey Flint presents at the eighteenth academic symposium, Fashion, Science, and Exploration on October 10, 2017. The daylong event explored the impact of scientific thought on fashion in conjunction with two current MFIT exhibitions Expedition: Fashion from the Extreme and Force of Nature.
Lacey Flint is the archivist and curator of research collections at The Explorers Club. She serves as a contributing curator on the Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum and received her MA in museum studies from the University of Leicester.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT...2019-05-1623 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastBlack Fashion Models | Fashion CultureIn conjunction with The Museum at FIT's past exhibition Black Fashion Designers, Robin Givhan sat down with fashion models Bethann Hardison, Riley Montana, and Veronica Webb for a lively discussion on diversity on and off the runway.
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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
2019-05-0727 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastOne Dress, Multiple Stories | Fashion CultureDr. Bethan Bide presents “One Dress, Multiple Stories: Exploring Everyday Fashion Objects as Sites for Narrating Speculative Biographies” at The Museum at FIT's Fashion Unraveled Colloquium, held on Saturday, September 29, 2018. Inspired by the MFIT exhibition Fashion Unraveled and organized by MFIT and the Fashion Research Network, this one-day colloquium explored the concepts of memory, wear, and imperfection in fashion. Speakers focused on imperfect garments and the significance of dressing as a habitual, intimate, and ephemeral act.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the...2019-04-1720 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastPanavision in Pink | Fashion CultureAs in Carrie, Fight Club, and Mean Girls, pink provides plot twists for the unwary. For Lisa in Coming to America and Elle in Legally Blonde, pink expresses self-knowledge, strength, maturity, and a rite of passage. Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis presents “Panavision in Pink: Deceptively Demure” at The Museum at FIT's 20th fashion symposium, Pink, held on Friday, October 19, 2018. This symposium explored the significance of the color pink in fashion, art, and culture.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fa...2019-03-2824 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture Podcast50 Years of The Museum at FIT: Part TwoEmma McClendon, associate curator of costume of The Museum at FIT, Elizabeth Way, assistant curator of costume, and Melissa Marra, associate curator of education, continue the discussion on the history of the museum and the exhibitions highlighted in Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT.
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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
2019-03-1847 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture Podcast50 Years of The Museum at FIT: Part OneValerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT chats with Patricia Mears, deputy director, and Colleen Hill, curator of costume and accessories, about the history of the museum and the exhibitions highlighted in Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT.
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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
2019-02-2735 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastBlack Fashion Designers | Fashion CultureIn conjunction with The Museum at FIT's past exhibition Black Fashion Designers, André Leon Talley sat down with fashion designers Mimi Plange and Tracy Reese for a lively discussion about how their family history and culture has impacted their work.
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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
2019-02-1418 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastMisty Copeland, Life in Motion | Fashion CultureMisty Copeland in conversation with Valerie Steele at The Museum at FIT on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.
Misty Copeland is a soloist with American Ballet Theatre. In 2007 she made history by becoming their second African American Female Soloist and the first in two decades. In September 2014, she was the first black woman to perform the lead role of Odette/Odile in American Ballet Theatre’s production of Swan Lake during the company’s first ever tour to Australia. Misty is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, Life in Motion (2014), co-written with Charisse Jones, and of the pict...2019-01-2343 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastChristian Siriano and Becca McCharen-Tran on Designing with Inclusivity in Mind | Fashion CultureChristian Siriano and Becca McCharen-Tran in conversation with Kim Jenkins at The Museum at FIT's 19th fashion symposium, Fashion and Physique, held on Friday, February 23, 2018. The one-day symposium featured lectures and panels on topics such as the emergence of the plus-size fashion industry in the early twentieth century, the impact of popular culture on how we assess the female body, and fashion accessibility for the disabled in the technological age.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in N...2019-01-1824 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastTracy Reese on Designing for the Modern Woman | Fashion CultureTracy Reese and MFIT assistant curator Elizabeth Way engage in a lively discussion about Reese's career as a designer and creating colorful, feminine pieces for the modern woman.
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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
2018-12-1943 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashion in the Social Media Era | Fashion CultureOn Tuesday, November 16, 2016, Eva Chen, head of fashion partnerships at Instagram along with Becca McCharen-Tran of Chromat and Tanya Taylor, discussed how Instagram became a critical fashion marketing channel, especially popular among professionals in the fashion industry.
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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
2018-11-2655 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastThe History of Pink | Fashion CultureOn September 13, 2018, Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator at The Museum at FIT, discussed her exhibition and book Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color.
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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
2018-11-1931 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastNorell: Master of American Fashion | Fashion CultureOn February 14, Jeffrey Banks, co-author of Norell: Master of American Fashion, Ellin Saltzman, former fashion director and senior vice president at firms such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Bergdorf Goodman, Stan Herman, designer and former president of the CFDA, and Ralph Rucci, couturier, artist and author, came together for a sparkling introduction to Norman Norell. This panel discussion was moderated by Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at FIT.
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The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fa...2018-10-2355 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastThe Influence of the Countess Greffulhe on Contemporary Fashion | Fashion CultureLucy Norris at The Museum at FIT's 16th fashion symposium, Proust’s Muse, held on Thursday, October 20, 2016. Researchers from the United States and Europe discussed the connections between fashion, patronage, literature, and the arts in turn of the century France.
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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
2018-10-1626 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastThe Influence of Hip-Hop on Fashion | Fashion CultureElena Romero in conversation with Dapper Dan and Jeriana San Juan at The Museum at FIT's 17th fashion symposium, Black Fashion Designers, 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
2018-09-2032 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastNorma Kamali Through The Years | Fashion CultureNorma Kamali in conversation with Patricia Mears at The Museum at FIT's 18th fashion symposium, Fashion, Science, and Exploration, held on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. The one-day symposium explored the impact of scientific thought on 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
2018-09-1324 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastUniformity | Fashion CultureOn November 9, 2016, Thom Browne, one of America’s most admired fashion designers, and Stefano Tonchi, editor in chief of W, discussed the social role of uniforms and their influence on high fashion.
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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
2018-08-2747 minThe Museum at FIT Fashion Culture PodcastFashioning Today’s Woman with Tim Gunn | Fashion CultureTim Gunn in conversation with Dr. Valerie Steele at The Museum at FIT's 19th fashion symposium, Fashion and Physique, held on Friday, February 23, 2018. The one-day symposium featured lectures and panels on topics such as the emergence of the plus-size fashion industry in the early twentieth century, the impact of popular culture on how we assess the female body, and fashion accessibility for the disabled in the technological age.
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...2018-08-0918 min