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Museum Muse
By admins | August 24, 2009
In case you haven’t noticed we’ve had an awfully rainy summer here in the NYC area. So what’s a fashionista to do when the beach is out of the question and shopping downtown promises to be a soggy endeavor? Well, we have a suggestion for you, how about hitting up a museum? Here are a couple fantastic fashionable exhibits that make the perfect rainy day excursion and perhaps will help inspire your next collection.
The Museum at FIT
Exhibit - Fashion and Politics - July 7, 2009 – November 7, 2009
A chronological exploration of over 200 years of politics as expressed through fashion. The term politics not only refers to the maneuverings of government, but also encompasses cultural change, sexual codes, and social progress. Throughout history, fashion has been a medium for conveying political ideologies and related social values. Fashion has addressed such important themes as nationalism, feminism and ethnic identity, as well as significant events and subcultural movements. Featuring over one hundred costumes, textiles and accessories, Fashion & Politics examines the rich history of politics in fashion. The exhibition’s introductory gallery will explore the theme of American nationalism and will feature a woman’s costume, circa 1889, printed with an American flag motif, as well as Catherine Malandrino’s iconic Flag Dress, worn by numerous celebrities and socialites to express patriotism after 9/11, and then again in response to the 2008 elections. Also featured will be an “IKE” dress from the 1956 Eisenhower Campaign, a “NIXON” paper dress, and memorabilia from the historic 2008 presidential elections.
Museum of the City of New York
Collection – New York’s Costume Fashion and Textiles
Over 25,000 garments and accessories dating from the mid-18th century to the present, all with a documented history linking them to the New Yorkers who wore them. The collection captures the history not only of changing fashion tastes but also of the evolving culture and social mores of the city.
The Museum of Arts and Design
Exhibit – GlassWear – July 15-September 20 2009
The international exhibition GlassWear, organized jointly by the Museum of Arts and Design and the Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim, Germany, displays over 120 imaginative and visually exciting glass jewelry by 60 of the world’s leading jewelry artists. GlassWear conveys the potential of glass in jewelry through provocative concepts and masterful techniques featuring an eclectic mix of renowned artists and young, up-and-coming jewelers from around the world.
The Cooper Hewitt
Exhibit – Fashioning Felt – March 6-September 7, 2009
This exhibition will explore the varied new uses of felt-an ancient material, believed to be one of the earliest techniques for making textiles. Made by matting together wool fibers with humidity and friction, felting requires little technological expertise and is an extremely versatile material. The exhibition will begin with historic examples of felts, showcase innovations in handmade felts, and feature contemporary uses of industrial felt in a range of fields, including product design, fashion, architecture, and home furnishings. The exhibition is being organized by Susan Brown, assistant curator, Textiles.
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Topics: fashion, scoop | 3 Comments » 
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August 25th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Don’t forget the Isabel Toledo exhibit (also at FIT)! My friend and I went last week; very inspiring, and definitely a “must see”. She is truly an ingenious creator…
August 25th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Thanks for posting these great picks! I had meant to catch the felt exhibit. So many great fashion-related picks happening in the museums right now.
August 25th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
What a great idea-who said museums are boring?