The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology located in Chelsea is home to a rotating collection of exhibitions. Their latest show, “Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors,” highlights various female fashion designers and their respective creative interiors and is the first exhibition to explore the connection between the intertwined disciplines, according to the curators.
The Museum at FIT is the only museum in New York City solely dedicated to the art of fashion and brands itself as “the most fashionable museum in New York City.” Consisting of a permanent collection of over 50,000 garments and accessories, their mission is to “advance knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, publications, and public programs,” and the “Designing Women” expo is a perfect example of this.
Accessible to all by way of free admission, the exhibit is both educational and captivating. The intimacy of the dimly lit display room, which is located off the main entrance, creates a closeness between the viewer and the articles of clothing. The show’s chronological order curation creates a seamless transition between the garments displayed. The flow allows visitors to feel as if they are moving through time and watching the fashion evolve right in front of them. No glass barriers separate the clothing from the room, leaving everyday people mere feet away from history. The unobstructed view allows viewers to take inspiration from the female trailblazers that broke ground for some of the most influential fashion trends of today.
The show includes more than 60 garments and accessories by 40 designers, all of which belong to FIT’s permanent collection. The collection features the work of some of the most notable designers in history such as Coco Chanel, Anna Sui, and Elsa Schiaparelli. All of the clothing is accompanied by photographs of interiors, as well as exclusive large-scale drawings done by artist and FIT adjunct associate professor of Illustration Bil Donovan.
The presentation begins with articles of clothing from the 18th century and ends with fashion from the 1970s. According to the press release, during the late 19th century, the French Rococo style flourished simultaneously with many women opening up fashion houses in New York, London, and Paris. At the same time, a group of women on the Atlantic then pushed the field of interior design forward into a viable profession, gaining the name “the great lady decorators.”
The photographs of interiors exhibited consist of the designer’s furnishing work regarding their personal spaces, such as their apartments or design studios. “The creation of interiors that promote social progress –from workers’ rights to urban renewal – have been likewise advanced by female fashion creators such as Madeleine Vionnet to Tracy Reese. It is no surprise that interiors commissioned and created by female fashion designers continue to have profound influence, widespread appeal, and enduring relevance,” The Museum at FIT wrote about the exhibit.
The photographs include the high-rise apartment of Bonnie Cashin, an American sportswear designer whose unit was colorful and mid-century modern, and Anna Sui, an American designer known for her contemporary original designs and maximalist apartment. There are also photographs of the designer’s respective salons, such as the decadent Rose Room of the Lucile Couture House in New York City.
Many of the designers featured at the exhibit were influential couturiers of the Edwardian era, a time in which, according to Art UK, fashion “turned to lighter, blousier styles that aimed to liberate women from the stiff conventions of the nineteenth century.” According to the FIT press release, these designers, such as Jeanne Paquin, the Callot Sisters, and Lady Duff-Gordon, pushed for the trend of femininity through the use of sheer colors and handmade lace while intimately decorating their couture houses. The influence of the designers exhibited can still be seen today, for example through the designer Vivienne Westwood’s often historical styles that incorporate lace and bows or Miu Miu’s bold textures and hyper-feminine looks.
“Designing Women” runs through May 14, and is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from noon to 8 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm. Anyone interested in the influences women designers had on fashion and interior designers may be interested in taking the time to attend.