Hello-Kitty Inspired Designer Garments Auctioned to Benefit the Museum at FIT

The Museum at FIT was selected by M•A•C Cosmetics to benefit from its launch of a cosmetics collection based on the pop culture character Hello Kitty. The creations of internationally renowned designers, who were invited by M•A•C to create one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by the Hello Kitty collection, were auctioned on eBay with all proceeds going to the museum's Acquisition Fund, which allows it to acquire garments for its permanent collection from up-and-coming design talent who cannot afford to donate garments. Two M•A•C Hello Kitty designs by Katy England—a dress and a catsuit—have also been donated outright to the museum's permanent collection.

Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, said, "Hello Kitty has always been a unique fashion icon, so we are delighted to acquire Katy England's Hello Kitty-inspired ensembles for the museum's permanent collection. We are also grateful to M•A•C Cosmetics and Hello Kitty for contributing the proceeds from their eBay auction to the museum's Acquisition Fund so that we may purchase other museum-quality looks from young designers."

The ensembles, which use the Hello Kitty colors of black, grey, white, and pink and range from cocktail frocks to Kitty couture swimwear, have been designed by Blugirl, Catherine Malandrino, Charlotte Ronson, Dress33, Elie Saab, Emanuel Ungaro, General Idea-Bum Suk Choi, Giles, Hervé Léger by Max Azria, Kai Kühne, Kate Sylvester, Katy England, Manish Arora, Marchesa, Miro, Opening Ceremony, Qiu Hao, Rosa Cha, Ruffian, Sang Beg Ha, Shu-Chi Huang, Sinha-Stanic, Tadashi Shoji, The Blonds, threeasFOUR, Vicente Villarin, Yigal Azrouel, Zac Posen, and Zimmermann.