A top spot on
school rankings lists, qualified faculty, study abroad opportunities, a
high graduate employment rate, are all by now goals of the modern
prestigious fashion school. But scattered throughout the country are
institutions with an extra attribute, a little-mentioned jewel in their
crown. These bastians of learning can boast of an inner temple for those
seeking ultimate fashion enlightenment: the on-campus fashion museum.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Texas,
Louisiana State University, University of Rhode Island, and Philadelphia’s
Drexel University are a handful of institutions which have assembled
collections of costume and textiles to present students with a portal into
history. Through a changing calendar of exhibitions they offer new ways of
exploring the subject of dress, provoking deeper student engagement with
fashion beyond mere the of-the-moment hyped trends, or corporate dominance
of the industry, or its celebrity associations.
SCAD FASH at Savannah College of Art and Design bills itself as the
first fashion and film museum, a natural fit considering the growing
significance of Atlanta’s film industry. It launched with a showcase of the
work of Oscar de la Renta, and has since held retrospectives of designer,
Carolina Herrera, international avant-garde style icon, Daniel Lismore, and
in 2018 opened the doors on “Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion,” currently on
view at Brooklyn Museum.
An on-campus fashion museum appears to be a distinctly American
phenomenon, not associated with schools in the European fashion capitals of
Paris, London or Milan. Perhaps there are already so many major museums
housing fashion collections in those cities? But it begs the question if
the location of some fashion schools is balanced by an on-site fashion
museum. The artfully produced exhibitions at the Museum at FIT, celebrating
its 50th anniversary, on the ground floor of the Fashion Institute of
Technology is located right on New York City’s aptly named Fashion Avenue.
Internationally renowned, it demonstrates no sign of being overshadowed by
the city’s major fashion mecca, the Met Museum, organizer of the annual
megawatt party, the Met Gala. Coincidentally the current show at FIT is
“Paris: Capital of Fashion,” which boldly confronts the status of that
historical capital of European style and the twentieth century emergence of
its American competition.
To understand the importance of the onsite museum FashionUnited speaks
to two museum directors from schools in different parts of the country, the
Museum at FIT’s Dr Valerie Steele, and Sarah Rogers, from the Fashion
Museum at Kent State University whose vast Ohio campus boasts a standalone
building housing an 8-gallery permanent exhibition which traces the
timeline of two centuries of fashion, as well as a diverse array of
temporary exhibits.
The importance of the fashion school museum in the US
Rogers says the reason she accepted the directorship role a year ago was
due to the connection between the museum and its engagement with the
greater university community. “Being on-campus and so closely aligned to a
program adds direct purpose as well as consequences to what we exhibit and
collect,” she explains. “For example, we have historic garments that, while
lovely or exotic objects, will not mean much if we are not thoughtful about
the contexts we provide in the exhibits, the history, the close up,
hands-on examination, the opportunity for research and scholarship, the
spark of inspiration. We provide the tangible examples for making (see that
Chanel Jacket construction) or closely looking at an idiosyncratic
combination of materials (Geoffrey Beene from the 80s/90s).”
Likewise at FIT the opportunity to get up close and personal with
historic pieces is paramount to fashion education. Says Steele, “Students
take classes at the Museum, where they have the opportunity to see close-up
garments from the museum’s dedicated Study Collection which holds over
1,000 garments and accessories from the 1840s to the present, and which
features important designers, such as Chanel and Balenciaga. Popular
classes use historic fashions to explore both the history of fashion
(changing silhouettes) and also what this tells us about changing beliefs
and behaviors (such as the struggle for women to be allowed to wear
trousers).”
The Museum at FIT’s Permanent Collection of more than 50,000 garments
and accessories from the 1700s to the present is reserved for exhibition
and research but tours of these exhibitions are given to students each
term.
The Museum at FIT is somewhat unique in that its exhibitions are prized
industry-wide, with launches attended by the city’s industry glitterati
such as Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Tim Gunn. But beyond the
red carpet, the student body benefits most from the exposure to craft and
technique, and the opportunity to immerse oneself in the archives right on
their doorstep.
“Every year, the Museum holds about 400 classes and tours for students,”
says Steele, “mostly FIT students, but also students from kindergarden to
university, including fashion schools from as far away as London and
Tokyo.”
Rogers notes the “fun” of having a campus audience and a public audience
with sometimes very diverging interests, but ultimately, she says, “We need
to be aware of who our students are, what they are interested in, what they
think about and this happens best when you listen and involve students in
your plans and programs.” The Museum is a venue where faculty and student
work can be exhibited together, and critiqued and discussed. “It makes the
theory real,” she adds. “Or informs an idea with historic precedence.”
Although the Museum at FIT does not make a specific point of exhibiting
alumni, it inevitably happens because, as Steele points out, “We have so
many illustrious alumni, such as Calvin Klein and Michael Kors, so we
exhibit their work in the context of our thematic exhibitions.”
Rogers believes a museum visit by all freshman students should be
mandatory, to stoke curiosity early in the educational experience. “Even if
they are not really interested in anything particular on view, they have
made the first step, know what it looks and feels like.” However a rush of
students at end of term who have an assignment due but have never been to
the museum before is not unheard of.
Museum classes on topics such as ” draping techniques and wool silk are popular at fit while illustration students take a in which they sketch chanel suits lingerie majors explore historic corsetry. tend to most museum courses during their freshman year but some even earlier. great designers is offered for high schoolers saturday live summer courses.>
Students and faculty exhibit fashion and textiles
Involvement in the concept and installation of the exhibits could
provide an extra learning experience for students but it must not interfere
with the professional and public face of the museum. At FIT a team of
highly skilled conservators, curators, education specialists, exhibition
makers, registrars, and media experts on staff is responsible for the four
major fashion exhibitions mounted every year. Students are not permitted to
be involved, but Steele says there are other opportunities for those
interested. “Once a year, museum staff work with a professor and graduate
students in the MA program in Fashion and Textile Studies to teach students
how to conceptualize and mount a fashion exhibition, utilizing the museum’s
Permanent Collection.” The Museum staff also works with students and
professors to mount a range of exhibitions featuring student work.
Similarly at KSU, student involvement must have a focus. This past May
marked the 50th anniversary of the tragic massacre of four Kent State
student protesters against the Vietnam War by the Ohio National Guard.
Honoring their memory led to what Rogers describes as “a historic and
current perspective across campus for everyone to create meaningful
opportunities for conversation, reflection, and learning.” An exhibit
entitled, “Wearing Justice: Perspectives from the KSU Fashion School
Faculty and Students,” was in response to a call to create designs
reflecting social justice and activism today, whereas
“Culture/Counterculture:Fashions
of the 1960s and 70s” provided a historic view of the period, culled from
the museum’s collection, with special loans from alumni, the Ohio History
Connect, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The on-campus fashion museum not only informs students on the history of
fashion but also encourages students to see fashion as a vehicle to be on
the right side of history. It allows emerging creatives to imagine
themselves as change-makers and society-shapers, possessing the power to
construct a better future. These are qualities worth exhibiting.
Fashion editor Jackie Mallon is also an educator and author of Silk
for the Feed Dogs, a novel set in the international fashion
industry.
Images of museums at Kent State University and Fashion Institute of
Technology by FashionUnited
