Image: Installation view of the New York section, photo by Eileen Costa
Exhibition Dates: June 2 – November 14, 2015
Exhibition Location: The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion & Textile History Gallery
The globalization of fashion has given rise to new fashion cities that now annually host hundreds of fashion weeks around the world. Each city’s cultural identity and particular economic, political, and social circumstances combine to elevate its designers to international attention. Global Fashion Capitals explored the history of the established fashion capitals—Paris, New York, Milan, and London—and the emergence of 16 new fashion cities.
The exhibition opened with a digital style map that geographically located the fashion capitals and showcased their latest runway and street style photographs. Global Fashion Capitals continued city-by-city, starting with Paris, the birthplace of haute couture, represented by designs from Charles Frederick Worth, Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, and the emerging couturier, Bouchra Jarrar.
The New York section began with a circa 1938 iridescent evening gown by Nettie Rosenstein and ended with Alexander Wang’s sporty spring/summer 2015 neon orange dress. New York also included styles by Claire McCardell, Halston, and Ralph Lauren.
Milan claimed its place as Italy’s fashion capital during the 1970s. Brands such as Versace and Prada helped establish the city’s respected prêt-à-porter. Now, newer designers, such as Stella Jean, bring fresh perspectives to Milan.
Image: Installation view, photo by Eileen Costa
London captured international attention with youthquake fashions during the 1960s. Provocative designers such as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen established London as a creative fashion hub during the decades since.
When selecting which emerging fashion capitals to include in the exhibition, the curators considered a number of indicators to show that a city’s fashion scene is growing. All the featured cities are home to forward-thinking designers who have achieved domestic success and attracted international interest. They also hold fashion weeks attended by international press and fashion buyers.
Image: Installation view of the Antwerp, photo by Eileen Costa
Several factors drive the development of a city’s fashion scene—politics, economics, and government support among them. For example, Johannesburg fashion blossomed during the post-apartheid era, led by designers such as Nkhensani Nkosi of Stoned Cherrie. Current events in Ukraine have ignited the creativity of designers such as Anton Belinskiy, who staged a photo shoot amid Kievs street protests.
China’s economic growth over the last decade created consumer demand for international fashion, developing into support for successful domestic designers, such as Shanghai’s Masha Ma. Nigeria’s economy, the largest in Africa, supports Lagos’ developing fashion industry and the growing international reach of brands like Maki Oh and Lisa Folwaiyo. The governments of Copenhagen and Seoul actively fund and promote their fashion industries.
The exhibition also examined fashions from:
Tokyo
Antwerp
Stockholm
Berlin
St. Petersburg/Moscow
Madrid
Sydney/Melbourne
Mexico City
São Paolo
Istanbul
Mumbai
Image: Installation view, photo by Eileen Costa
Video: Interview With Curator Ariele Elia by Gregory DelliCarpini Jr.
Global Fashion Capitals was organized by Ariele Elia, assistant curator of costume and textiles, and Elizabeth Way, curatorial assistant, The Museum at FIT.
See the exhibition online.
Global Fashion Capitals Symposium
October 13, 2015
The Museum at FIT, in conjunction with CUNY Graduate Center and School of Visual, Media & Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, hosted a one-day symposium on the topic of global fashion capitals. The morning session took place on the FIT campus and consisted of a student fair, where visitors interacted with members of the international fashion community. The morning also included a fashion show featuring five designers from emerging fashion capitals and a panel discussion moderated by MFIT curators Ariele Elia and Elizabeth Way. The afternoon session took place at the CUNY Graduate Center.
