Art X Fashion

Art X Fashion is a comprehensive exploration of the symbiotic relationship between the world of fashion and fine art. Featuring more than 140 objects, including garments, accessories, textiles, photographs, and original artworks drawn from MFIT's permanent collection, Art X Fashion challenges the traditional hierarchies of visual culture, presenting fashion and art each as parallel, potent expressions of social, intellectual, and creative forces. Curated by Dr. Elizabeth Way, curator of costume and accessories at MFIT, the exhibition reflects MFIT's mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of fashion's critical role in culture.

The core of Art X Fashion lies in its profound engagement with the eternal question: "Is fashion art?" The exhibition explores the ways that fashion has always been a partner, not a follower, of fine art, highlighting typically overlooked integrations throughout history. This includes examples of how the two disciplines have worked together to create European styles, from the drama of Rococo and Neoclassical grandeur to the unsettling world of Surrealism, to the shock of Pop Art and postmodernism.

Among the responses to this famous question is that of art and fashion historian Dr. Christopher Richards (Brooklyn College), who suggests that if fashion has innovative forms, exquisite craftsmanship, and cultural impact, then it is art. The pillars of his argument are illustrated through garments by Martin Margiela, Rei Kawakubo, and Iris van Herpen, demonstrating innovation, and Charles Frederick Worth, Paul Poiret, and Elsa Schiaparelli, showcasing craftsmanship. The cultural impact of fashion is seen through the power and legacy of Christian Dior's New Look and examples of 1970s punk.