DRESS, DREAMS, AND DESIRE AUDIO ANALYSIS
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Dive deeper into our latest exhibition Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis, the first exhibition to explore the complex relationship between fashion and psychoanalysis, with Audio Analysis, hosted on the Bloomberg Connects digital guide. Narrated by Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, the Audio Analysis highlights four notable objects and addresses some of the key themes in the exhibition.
If you'd like to learn more about Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis, MFIT is hosting a Fashion and Psychoanalysis Symposium on Friday, November 14th.
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OLIVIER ROUSTEING SPEAKS WITH VALERIE STEELE
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Following his recognition at the 2025 Couture Council Luncheon, Olivier Rousteing, creative director of the house of Balmain, joined Dr. Valerie Steele for an intimate conversation with FIT students. He recalled his personal struggles and hardships, offering a candid look into his journey and the lessons he’s carried along the way. Speaking on diversity and inclusivity in fashion, Rousteing shared: "We always win when there is love… We can build a community of people that believe in the same world, and we're all here to shape this world."
You can read about and view photos from the luncheon and student event, watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel, or stream the podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or Spotify.
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| OBJECT OF THE MONTH
"Simple clothes lend themselves to personal dressing." This was Bonnie Cashin's fashion philosophy. An avid observer of American life, Cashin created eminently practical, uncomplicated clothing that appealed to women during the post-World War II era. Learn more about fashion designers in our Online Collections.
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FEATURED PODCAST
Dr. Valerie Steele joins the podcast Ordinary Unhappiness to discuss her new exhibition and book.
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FEATURED IMAGES
Enjoy visiting Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis virtually in our Flickr album full of installation images.
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The full listings for Fall 2025 Fashion Culture Public Programs are available on our website.
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Dress, Fashion, and National Identity in Puerto Rico
Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 pm | FREE
Join FIT Associate Professor José Blanco F. and independent researcher Raúl J. Vázquez-López who will present their new book, Dress, Fashion, and National Identity in Puerto Rico, in conversation with MFIT's Senior Curator of Education Tanya Meléndez-Escalante. The book explores national identity and nation formation as well as past and current practices in Puerto Rican visual culture. A book signing follows the event.
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Image: Dress, Fashion, and National Identity in Puerto Rico. Courtesy of Bloomsbury.
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Image: Cover of The Art of Parisian Chic: Modern Women and Modern Artists in Impressionist Paris. Courtesy of Bloomsbury.
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The Art of Parisian Chic
Thursday October 23, 5:30 pm | FREE
The new book by Justine De Young, The Art of Parisian Chic: Modern Women and Modern Artists in Impressionist Paris, shows how modern women used fashion and stereotypes such as the Parisienne (chic Parisian woman) or the demoiselle de magasin (shopgirl) to construct and reinvent their identities. Author and FIT Associate Professor Justine De Young will be in conversation with Hilary Davidson, chair of FIT's MA program for Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, about how women were seen, how they aspired to be seen, and how they navigated public life in Second Empire and Belle Époque Paris. A book signing follows the event.
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Fashion under Fascism
Tuesday, November 6, 5:30 pm | FREE
CUNY professor Eugenia Paulicelli presents her book Fashion under Fascism: Beyond the Black Shirt, where she explores the subtle yet sinister changes to the seemingly innocuous practices of everyday dress and shows why they were a concern for the Italian state in the 1930s. Importantly, she also demonstrates how these developments made an impact on the global dominance of Italian fashion today. A book signing follows the event.
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Image: Cover of Fashion under Fascism: Beyond the Black Shirt. Courtesy of Bloomsbury.
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CURRENT | DRESS, DREAMS, AND DESIRE: FASHION AND PSYCHOANALYSIS
September 10, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Lower Gallery
This exhibition, curated by Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT, explores the complex relationship between fashion and psychoanalysis. Steele has spent more than five years working on this exhibition and the accompanying book, which draws on the evolution of psychoanalytic ideas about sexuality and the unconscious, with sections devoted to themes such as the mirror stage, the skin ego, desire, and sexual difference. Learn more.
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CURRENT | CUT AND MISS: FROM BINARY DRAFT TO WOVEN TEXTILE
September 18 – October 12, 2025
MFIT Lobby
This exhibition showcases the journey of Textile/Surface Design students, from foundational weaving techniques to cutting-edge digital applications. Cut & Miss features a diverse range of projects, highlighting the evolution of skills and creative expression across introductory and advanced levels. Traditional hand woven samples are displayed alongside fabric developed through digital weaving and manufactured at an American textile mill. Process sketches, drafts, and digital images display the marriage of design and technical skill required to create woven fabrics. There are in-person weaving demonstrations on Sat Oct 11th and Sun Oct 12th.
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UPCOMING | THE AGE OF CI: THE RISE OF CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD
October 18 – November 9, 2025
MFIT Lobby
Human creativity is on the cusp of a revolution. In this new era, design transcends aesthetics and style, becoming a strategic practice grounded in empathy and insightful problem framing. The creatives of the future will be those who can envision groundbreaking solutions while harnessing AI to remove production barriers and achieve transformative results. This exhibition explores a future where AI is not a replacement for human creativity but its ultimate amplifier. By surpassing the limits of individual skills and production speed, AI enables us to concentrate on what truly sets us apart: Creative Intelligence (CI). Learn more.
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UPCOMING | ART X FASHION
February 18 – April 19, 2026
Lower Gallery
Art X Fashion will look at the entangled and shifting relationship between fine art and fashion–typically considered a "decorative" or "applied" art. Organized by Dr. Elizabeth Way, curator of costume and accessories, this exhibition will feature 140 garments, textiles, and accessories from MFIT's permanent collection, and we invite viewers to consider the much-asked question, "Is fashion art?" through historic and contemporary examples. Learn more.
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// MEET US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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GIORGIO ARMANI'S GREATEST DESIGN WAS HIS INDEPENDENT VISION AS A FOUNDER
The legendary Italian designer Giorgio Armani died on Thursday, September 4, at the age of 91 in Milan. Fashion historian Dr. Valerie Steele contextualizes his success over the decades: "There have been ebbs and flows [in his influence], of course. That is inevitable when people are looking for something new."
7 FASHION TRENDS FROM THE 80S THAT ARE MAKING A HUGE COMEBACK
Fashion isn't just about style—it's a mirror of confidence, nostalgia, and identity, with the past quietly weaving itself back into today's wardrobe.
"SUPERFINE" UNPACKS SELF-EXPRESSION, RESISTANCE, AND STATUS THROUGH BLACK STYLE
MFIT's Curator of Costume and Accessories Elizabeth Way, along with Kimberly Jenkins and Ekow Eshun, answer questions about whether James Baldwin was a dandy, what aesthetic characteristics might define a dandy, and the relationship between photography and the Black dandy. It's a great conversation!
PARK CITY (UTAH) HIGH SCHOOL ALUM WINS TOP DESIGN HONORS AT FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN NEW YORK CITY
When Allison Margaret Smith reflects on her journey in fashion, she traces it back to the moment her mother taught her to sew, a skill that became her entry point into design. Smith is now a recent graduate of FIT, recognized as one of the top fashion design schools globally. Her path has led to her thesis collection, "Golden Plains of Grain," earning both the Critic Award and Macy's Empowered Design Award at the 2025 Future of Fashion runway show in May.
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HEADER IMAGE CREDIT
Larry Shox, man's suit, hand painted wool, 1985, USA, museum purchase, P85.29.1.
The exhibitions and programs of The Museum at FIT are supported in part by
the generosity of the members of the Couture Council.
If you enjoy our Fashion Culture programs help support them with a small donation.
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please contact the Office of Communications and External Relations, press [at] fitnyc.edu
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