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A Postcard from The Museum at FIT's "Dance & Fashion" Exhibit

Dance & Fashion
September 13, 2014 - January 3, 2015
The Museum at FIT

Museum hours: Tuesday–Friday, noon–8 pm; Saturday, 10 am–5 pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, and legal holidays.

Admission is free.

Pictured above: Stephen Petronio Company; © Sarah Silver Photography.

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) will present Dance & Fashion, a stunning exploration of the relationship between these two embodied art forms. Organized by the museum’s director, Dr. Valerie Steele, and set in a dramatic mise-en-scène created by architect Kim Ackert, Dance & Fashion will feature nearly 100 dance costumes and dance-inspired fashions, ranging from the 19th century to the present, many of which have never been exhibited.

Dance & Fashion will open with a superb display of ballet costumes and related fashions from the 1830s and 1840s, the era of the Romantic ballet. A rare Spanish-style costume worn by the great ballerina, Fanny Elssler, will be accompanied by fashions of the period. A costume by Christian Bérard for Symphonie Fantastique, along with a costume by Mme. Karinska for Ballet Imperial, will demonstrate the evolution of classic ballet costume, while a costume from Creole Giselle for the Dance Theatre of Harlem will evoke the continuing appeal of the Romantic ballet.

Christian Dior’s Black Swan ball gown will epitomize ballet’s influence on fashion design. Conversely,Marc Happel, costume director of New York City Ballet, has said that his costumes for Symphony in C were inspired by fashions designed by Dior and Balenciaga. The pointe shoes of famous dancers such as Anna Pavlova and Margot Fonteyn will be juxtaposed with high-fashion styles by Christian Louboutin and Noritaka Tatehana that were inspired by ballet shoes.

Serge de Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, 1916. Image courtesy of Fashion Institute of Technology | SUNY, Gladys Marcus Library Department of Special Collections.

The Orientalism of the Ballets Russes (1909-29) has also influenced generations of fashion designers, from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent. A costume from Schéhérazade, 1910, designed by the artist Léon Bakst and recently acquired by The Museum at FIT, will be the centerpiece in a display of extraordinary fashions and costumes, including a couture ensemble from Yves Saint Laurent’s 1976 Ballets Russes collection and an ensemble by Emanuel Ungaro worn by Princess Caroline of Monaco. There will also be costumes worn by dancers such as Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Among the fashion designers who have created costumes for the ballet will be Yves Saint Laurent and Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy (for the Paris Opera Ballet), Christian Lacroix, and Jean Paul Gaultier, plus Valentino Garavani, Prabal Gurung, Gilles Mendel, Olivier Theyskens, Rodarte, and Iris van Herpen, all of whom have created costumes for New York City Ballet.

Costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier for Façade, un divertissement, choreography for eleven dancers by Régine Chopinot, La Coursive, La Rochelle, 1993. Photograph © Eric Richmond.

For the modern dance section, the Martha Graham Dance Company has loaned noteworthy dresses, some designed and worn by Graham herself and others the product of a close collaboration between Halston and Graham. Once adamantly opposed to ballet, modern dance choreographers have increasingly incorporated elements from ballet and other dance genres, resulting in new forms of modern and postmodern dance. Dance & Fashion will include several important African-Caribbean-inspired costumes from Katherine Dunham, a costume from José Limón’s The Moor’s Pavane, and one from Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Fashion designers featured who have created costumes for modern dance will include Narciso Rodriguez for Morphoses, Francisco Costa for Elisa Monte, and Tara Subkoff for Stephen Petronio, among others. A highlight will be a costume from Merce Cunningham’s Scenario designed by Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons juxtaposed with a CDG “bump” dress, which inspired the dance costume.

In addition to ballet and modern dance, there will be a flamenco dress and a selection of flamenco-inspired dresses by designers such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, Jeanne Paquin, Oscar de la Renta, and Ralph Lauren. Recently, Rick Owens was so inspired by African-American step dancers that they performed at his runway show in Paris. Examples of his designs will also be included, and there will be a step performance by Team Vicious at both the press preview and the reception on opening night.

Valentino, woman’s costume for Bal de Couture, Fall 2012, lent by New York City Ballet. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

The exhibition will also include art work by David Michelek featuring ballerina Wendy Whelan, and a series of 13 photographs and a video by acclaimed dance and fashion photographer Anne Deniau, also known as Ann Ray, in collaboration with performers from the Paris Opera Ballet. In addition, there will be selected dance videotapes, as well as videotaped interviews with Marc Happel, costume director of the New York City Ballet, and others.

A multi-author book, to be published by Yale University Press, will accompany the exhibition. A two-day symposium on October 23 and 24, 2014, that will be free and open to the public, will further explore dance and fashion. There will also be a series of free lectures, workshops, and tours as part of the museum’s Fashion Culture program.

About The Museum at FIT

The Museum at FIT, which is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is the only museum in New York City dedicated solely to the art of fashion. Best known for its innovative and award-winning exhibitions, the museum has a collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present. Like other fashion museums, such as the Musée de la Mode, the Mode Museum, and the Museo de la Moda, The Museum at FIT collects, conserves, documents, exhibits, and interprets fashion. The museum’s mission is to advance knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. Visit fitnyc.edu/museum.

The museum is part of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a State University of New York (SUNY) college of art, design, business, and technology that has been at the crossroads of commerce and creativity for nearly 70 years. With programs that blend hands-on practice, a strong grounding in theory, and a broad-based liberal arts foundation, FIT offers career education in more than 45 areas, and grants associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. FIT provides students with a complete college experience at an affordable cost, a vibrant campus life in New York City, and industry-relevant preparation for rewarding careers. Visit fitnyc.edu.

The Couture Council is a philanthropic membership group that helps support the exhibitions and programs of The Museum at FIT. The Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion is given to a selected designer at a benefit luncheon held every September. For information on the Couture Council, call 212 217.4532 or email couturecouncil@fitnyc.edu.

Lauren Lovette in costume by Iris van Herpen, for Benjamin Millepied’s Neverwhere, 2013, New York City Ballet. Photograph by Erin Baiano.

Brittany Pollack and Taylor Stanley in Capricious Maneuvers, 2013. Choreography by Justin Peck, New York City Ballet. Costumes by Prabal Gurung. Photograph ©Paul Kolnik.

Norma Kamali, man and woman’s costume for In the Upper Room, 1988, lent by American Ballet Theatre. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Elsa Schiaparelli. Light blue evening gown with wired pintucks and interior colored ruffles at flared hem, mid-1930s, France. Beverley Birks Collection, photo © The Museum at FIT.

Prada, ensemble, Spring 2011, lent by Prada. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung, woman’s costume for Endlos from the Dancers Responding to AIDS benefit, 2013, lent by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Olivier Theyskens, woman’s costume for Spectral Evidence, Fall 2013, Lent by New York City Ballet. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Narciso Rodriguez, woman’s costume for Locomotor, 2014, lent by Stephen Petronio Company. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Rodarte, woman’s costume for Two Hearts, Spring 2012, lent by New York City Ballet. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Versace, man and woman’s costume for Herman Schmerman, 1992, lent by New York City Ballet. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Stella McCartney, man’s tattoo costume for Ocean’s Kingdom, Fall 2011, lent by New York City Ballet. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Rick Owens, ensemble, Spring 2014, lent by Rick Owens. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Jean Paul Gaultier, man’s costume for Façade, un divertissement, 1993, lent by Maison Jean Paul Gaultier. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Prabal Gurung, woman’s costume for Capricious Maneuvers, Fall 2013, lent by New York City Ballet. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Halston, woman’s costume for Tangled Night, 1986, lent by Martha Graham Dance Company. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Evening dress in cream silk satin, tulle, and chiffon, 1830, Russia. The Museum at FIT, 2007.12.4. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Comme des Garçons, pearlized patent leather and elastic ballet flats, spring 2005. Collection of The Museum at FIT. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Leon Bakst, young man’s costume from Schéhérazade, 1910, France. The Museum at FIT, 2014.1.1, photograph ©The Museum at FIT.

Danskin, light purple knit leotard and navy jersey skirt, 1975-76, USA. The Museum at FIT 2003.61.2 & 3, photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Capezio, “Duro Toe” pointe shoes, 1941. Collection of The Museum at FIT, gift of David P. Dann. Photograph © The Museum at FIT.

Cristobal Balenciaga, dress, silk taffeta and cut velvet, 1950, France. The Museum at FIT, 86.142.5, photograph © The Museum at FIT.