Global Fashion Capitals

This exhibition explores the history of the established fashion capitals –Paris, New York, Milan, and London– and the emergence of 16 new fashion cities.

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 explores the history of the established fashion capitals –Paris, New York, Milan, and London– and the emergence of 16 new fashion cities.

The exhibition opens with a digital style map that geographically locates the fashion capitals and showcases their latest runway and street style photographs. Global Fashion Capitals continues 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 exhibition will also examine fashions from Tokyo, Antwerp, Stockholm, Berlin, St. Petersburg / Moscow, Madrid, Sydney / Melbourne, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, Istanbul and Mumbai.

Related events

Symposium and Fashion Show

On October 13, 2015, The Museum at FIT, in conjunction with CUNY Graduate Center and School of Visual, Media & Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, will host a one day symposium on the topic of global fashion capitals. The morning session will take place on the FIT campus and will consist of a student fair, where visitors can interact with members of the international fashion community.

The morning will also include 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 will take place at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Exhibition

From June 18–July 6, 2015, the Instituto Cervantes presents the exhibition Agatha Ruiz de la Prada: Posters Design, a selection of costumes, posters, and furniture that fashion designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada created during her more than thirty years designing.

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