The Museum at FIT to open Paris Refashioned exhibit in February

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Dec 21, 2016

The Museum at FIT is paying homage to many great mid 20th century French ateliers with its new Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968 exhibition opening on February 10, 2017. 

Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968 highlights French haute couture, ready-to-wear and popular culture during the 1950s and 1960s and how they were featured by the American press. The exhibit begins in 1957 with Christian Dior dresses designed by Yves Saint Laurent and ensembles from Hubert de Givenchy and Coco Chanel.

The exhibit enters the 1960s with works from André Courrèges, a protégé of Balenciaga, Pierre Cardin, Emmanuelle Khanh, Paco Rabanne, Sonia Rykiel, and Nina Ricci all showcased for their innovative and forward-thinking ready-to-wear ensembles. The final portion of Paris Refashioned features looks from Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent for his Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label, and finally Cristobal Balenciaga himself in 1968, the final year of the exhibit.

In addition, Paris Refashioned is accompanied by a book of the same name featuring photos by William Klein, Peter Knapp, and Irving Penn among others. The book will also include an overview from the exhibition’s curator Colleen Hill, and essays by Museum at FIT Director and Chief Curator Dr. Valerie Steele; Patricia Mears, Deputy Director at The Museum at FIT; Emma McClendon, Assistant Curator at The Museum at FIT; and independent fashion scholar and curator Dr. Alexis Romano.

The Museum at FIT recently opened its Black Fashion Designers exhibit showcasing the quiet history of black fashion designers, and featuring the works of Public School, Duro Olowu and Grace Wales Bonner among others. The exhibit opened on December 6, 2016 and it will remain through May 16. 2017.

Paris Refashioned will be open from February 10 through April 15, 2017.