Special Exhibitions Gallery, The Museum at FIT

Charles James ballgown, silk chiffon, satin, netting, and boning, 1954-1955, USA, gift of Robert Wells in memory of Lisa Kirk. February 7–April 18, 2020  Ballet took its place in the western pantheon of modern high culture during the interwar years of the twentieth century. The ballerina, the form’s most celebrated practitioner, blossomed into a revered figure of beauty and glamour, and her signature costume—the corseted tutu—inspired many of fashion’s leading designers. Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse will illustrate the influence of classical ballet and…

Charles James, debutante dress, 1937, USA, Gift of Mrs. John Hammond, 77.89.3. September 10, 2020–January 9, 2021 Special Exhibitions Gallery Ravishing: The Rose in Fashion presents the first socio-cultural examination of the rose in fashion. This flower can be dated back over 3 million years, and its broad geographic sweep is entwined with stories of trade, immigration, politics, religion, gender, food, beauty, and identity. It has been worshipped and reviled, and it is inextricably linked to perceptions of love. Not surprisingly, this…