The marvelous Exhibitionism show at FIT

I don't normally write about an exhibit after it has closed, but want to make an exception for this terrific show that I saw in April...

The Exhibitionism show, which ran from February 8th through April 20th this year, was a celebration of the beloved museum's 50th anniversary and showcased a sampling from several of the museum's most compelling exhibits throughout the years. The show was wonderfully curated by Dr. Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill (who, incidentally, took time out to come to our Apparel Designers Network gathering at the Schmalberg factory). Many of the pieces came from the museum's own collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories from the eighteenth century to the present.

Make sure you don't miss another great exhibit - get your copy of the

Top Fashion Exhibits

to see through this summer!

I hope I can make up for the fact that the show is now past by sharing my photos of the amazing pieces they had on display:

The pieces above were part of the 'Paris Refurbished' exhibit.

from left - Yves St. Laurent,Courrèges, Emmanuelle Khanh

above: Several vampire inspired pieces from the 'Gothic: Dark Beauty' exhibit

(click on the thumnails to get a full view of the images)

above: some wonderful pieces from the 'Fairy Tale Fashion' exhibit

from left - Comme des Garçons, 2015; Cape late 18th century England

above: couture by Vionnet (let) and Charles James (right)

more pieces from their extensive exhibit 'American Beauty' (I am sorry I didn't note the designers here!)

above from the exhibit 'Corsets: Fashioning the Body'

a stunning piece by Vionnet from the 'Three Women' exhibit featuring Vionnet, Claire McCardell, and Rei Kawakubo

from the 'Forces of Nature'exhibit: from left Roberto Cavalli (2002-03) and a navy embroidered suit circa 1790;

Yvonne May (1920) and Alexander McQueen (2009)

from the exhibit 'Hello Again: Recycling for the Real World' - XULY Bët and Martin Margiela

above: pieces from the 'Japan Fashion Now' exhibit - including work by Issey Miyake, Sacai, Yohji Yamamoto,

and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons

The FIT Museum is such a fantastic resource for the apparel design community, and in fact for anyone who works in or simply loves fashion. They regularly host the most wonderful exhibits and events and are a wealth of learning and inspiration. Check out some of the other events the museum is hosting to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Lastly, don't forget to grab your copy of our essential fashion exhibits for the coming months!

sources: all images by POLYCHROME