Throughout history, art and fashion have been intertwined with one another, each influencing the other through new developments and styles. Paintings, sculptures and textiles have all played an important role in the evolution of fashion over time. However, even with the interconnectedness of these two forms of expression, fashion and clothing are still left out of the conversations of what is considered “true art” due to the commercial nature of it.
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has begun the work to change this narrative through its exhibit titled Art X Fashion at The Museum at FIT (MFIT). Open from Feb. 18 to April 19, this limited time exhibit offers an opportunity to walk through time and immerse oneself in the different art and fashion pieces located throughout.
On a Wednesday afternoon, after finishing up my class, I decided to take a trip on the D and 1 trains all the way to our fellow New York City college, FIT. Upon entering the museum, I was met with an array of smaller exhibits filling the lobby, each with only a few pieces and placards explaining the messages behind them. Despite my main destination being the Art X Fashion exhibit located on the basement floor, I found myself wandering around upstairs, reveling in all of the unique and eye-catching pieces. Finally, though, I made my way down the stairs to enter the exhibit.
The pieces displayed ranged from 18th century French dresses to a pair of Crocs. Each article of clothing or outfit was accompanied by a corresponding art piece that showcased just how much each impacted the other. “Famous Chrysler Building Shrouded in Mist” by Stuart Monk alongside a black sequin evening dress, “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat hung behind a blue silk taffeta dress and brightly colored garments next to examples of early 20th century pop art. In each set of examples, the resemblance and relationship were clear.
As a person who obsesses over fashion magazines and museum visits, it was an incredibly interesting exhibition, leaving me thinking about how my own clothing may be connected to art even today. As art and fashion scholar Christopher Richard described, fashion creates cultural movements and can change dress in ways we have never imagined. He used the hourglass silhouette, popularized by Christian Dior in 1947, and punk style, emphasized by Vivienne Westwood, as examples of these avant-garde styles that later became the framework for entire movements.
Throughout the exhibit, placards — such as the one featuring Richard — filled the spaces between the pieces, each describing different ways the art and fashion intertwine. One that truly stood out to me was titled “Artists as Designers.” As I walked through the exhibit I was understanding how fashion designers could also be referred to as artists, but I hadn’t considered the alternative. In this short paragraph it reads: “Fine artists have long depicted fashion in their work as significant indicators of class and status, culture and period, and the individual characteristics of their subjects.” Fashion is not just a medium form, but also a subject, a message.
Out of the 140 objects I viewed, the piece that stood out to me the most was a 1999 dress made by designer (or artist) Hussein Chalayan that used white Tyvek as its “fabric.” Tyvek is the same material used for packages, the impossible-to-rip packaging that all people have struggled to open up when they receive mail. When I first saw this dress from a distance I felt it resembled the look of a pattern pinned together before adding the fabric. It wasn’t until I got closer and read the description that I realized it was not at all what I thought.
Fashion, like art, is meant to take you by surprise and to leave you thinking differently which is exactly what this museum does. It is expressive, creative and beautiful — all traits of fine art.
This exhibit is a must-see for anyone who enjoys fashion, history, art or just wants to find a fun and free activity to do in the city.
