New Acquisitions
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Having learned the craft of shoemaking from his father in Malaysia, Jimmy Choo rose to international fame for innovative designs and impeccable craftsmanship. The Jimmy Choo label was founded in 1996 and quickly made a name for itself in the high-end footwear market, combining glamour and sex appeal with a youthful aesthetic. Jimmy Choo had become a household name by the end of the decade, and its popularity among celebrites continues.
These shoes were on view in the 2022 exhibition Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic.
Much of hip hop style is about representing localities—different cities, boroughs,
and neighborhoods create distinctive trends. For hip hop women and girls in New York
City, the Reebok Freestyle, released in 1982, was the first dance sneaker that catered
to their style in an assortment of bright colors. The shoe's nickname refers to its
original cost, plus New York sales tax: $54.11.
These sneakers were on view in the 2023 exhibition Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style.
Marc Jacobs's spring 2011 collection was decidedly "maximalist," featuring bold embellishments and vibrant colors. This ensemble was among the most subdued designs in the collection, but it is far from mundane. Both the trouser legs and the sleeves feature long slits that billow dramatically when the wearer walks, but the color blocking over the sleeves renders them especially eye-catching.
This look was on view in the 2024 exhibition Statement Sleeves.
Brenda Equihua identifies as Chicana, a person born in the United States with Mexican heritage. Her mother crossed the border while pregnant, and Equihua was born in California three days later. In her Devotion coat, the designer connects the tenderness of a mother with two symbols of Mexican identity: the Virgin of Guadalupe and San Marcos blankets. The Virgin of Guadalupe, known as the mother and protector of Latin Americans, has become inextricably linked to Mexican identity. The plushy texture of this coat is reminiscent of San Marcos blankets, which are a staple of Mexican and Chicano households. For Equihua, they signify comfort, home, and her mother's embrace. These two symbols resonate strongly with Chicano culture: the blanket with its domestic and private connotations, and the Virgin of Guadalupe, as a religious, social, and political symbol.
This coat was on view in the 2023 exhibition ¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today.
Below are the types of objects in the collections of The Museum at FIT.
The accessories collection consists of approximately 15,000 objects that date from the mid-17th century to the present day. The collection has a particularly strong emphasis on designer accessories from the second half of the 20th century.
The accessories collection is supported by the Solomon-Sloan Endowment Fund, which was established in 2005 to facilitate the acquisition, conservation, documentation and exhibition of accessories.
- The footwear collection contains more than 4,000 pairs of shoes, boots and sandals. It includes examples by designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Roger Vivier, Herbert Levine, and Salvatore Ferragamo.
- The millinery collection contains more than 3,000 hats by famous milliners such as Caroline Reboux, Lilly Daché, Halston and Philip Treacy. There are also many examples from designers such as Christian Dior, Balenciaga and Jacques Fath.
- The handbag collection includes fine examples by luxury houses such as Hermés and Gucci as well as examples by Roberta di Camerino, Judith Leiber and Bonnie Cashin for Coach.
- Other accessories include fans, gloves, belts, hosiery and costume jewelry.
The Costume Collection consists of more than 50,000 objects dating from the mid-18th century to the present. The strength of the collection lies in its 20th-century holdings and, particularly, in couture and ready-to-wear women's clothing. The collections are currently being computerized to facilitate research.
- The costume collection includes fashion by designers such as Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga, Chanel, Comme des Garçons, Dior, Galanos, Halston, Charles James, Norell, Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood.
- The Halston Archives and Study Room hold designs, patterns, and related records documenting this important designer's life work.
- The menswear collection features some 2,000 garments ranging from formal to activewear, including suits, coats, vests, and uniforms.
- Also included are swimwear, lingerie, outerwear, and knitwear.
The Textile Collection consists of more than 30,000 textiles dating from the fifth century to the present, and includes the work of artists and designers such as Junichi Arai, Salvador Dali, Raoul Dufy, and William Morris.
- The textile collection includes apparel and home furnishing fabrics, embroideries, and shawls.
- The collection also includes a number of ribbon sample books.
- The J.B. Martin Velvet Room archives handwoven and production velvets spanning a 125-year period.
The Photography Archive features the work of fashion photographers Louise-Dahl Wolfe (1895-1989), who produced 86 cover images and thousands of interior shots for Harper’s Bazaar magazine, and John Rawlings (1912-1970), who had more than 200 Vogue and Glamour magazine covers.
Image: Louise Dahl-Wolfe photograph of model Sandra Payson. Featured in Harper’s Bazaar, March 1947, page 205, gift of Louise Dahl-Wolfe, 74.84.54
For those looking for the Herman Landshoff collection, the archive has been transferred
to:
Munchner Stadtmuseum
Sammlungsleiter Fotomuseum
St.-Jakobs-Pl. 1
80331 Munchen
The contact for the collection is:
Dr. Ulrich Pohlmann
Tel.: 089/233-22948
Fax.: 089/233-27969
email.: [email protected]