Art X Fashion

Art X Fashionis a major exhibition exploring the entangled and shifting relationship between fine
art and fashion—typically considered a "decorative" or "applied" art. Curated by Dr.
Elizabeth Way, Curator of Costume and Accessories, and featuring 140 garments, textiles,
and accessories from The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection, this exhibition traces
fashion and art's parallel aesthetics from 18th-century rococo to late-20th-century
postmodernism. Utilizing the theoretical framework developed by art and fashion historian
Dr. Christopher Richards,Art X Fashioninvites viewers to consider the much-asked question, "Is fashion art?" through historic
and contemporary examples. Further themes explore the overlapping art-and-fashion
work of artists, such as Salvador Dalí, Sonia Delaunay, Kerry James Marshall, Antonio
Lopez, and Pablo Picasso, and fashion designers, including Hussein Chalayan, Issey
Miyake, Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Vivienne Tam, as well as the ways artists
use fashion to shape their identities and expand their cultural significance.Image: Wales Bonner X Kerry James Marshall, cotton T-shirt reproducing "Lost Boys:
AKA Black Sonny" (1993) by Kerry James Marshall, spring 2023, museum purchase, 2022.55.1