Beyond Utility
February 25, 2026 - March 22, 2026
Beyond Utility, curated by graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice MA program in collaboration with The Museum at FIT, examines the perpetual transformation of utilitarian design within and beyond the fashion system.
Throughout history, fashion and anti-fashion groups have adopted and abstracted clothing born out of necessity, continuously negotiating between form and function. Showcasing never-before-displayed objects from the MFIT Study Collection and the FTS Graduate Study Collection, the exhibition pairs utility dress archetypes with their later reinterpretations, featuring designs from Issey Miyake, BOY London, Bonnie Cashin, Junya Watanabe, Burberry, Moschino, and more. The case studies span three sections, unbound by chronology: "Workwear: Beyond Labor," "Military: Beyond Combat," and "Craft: Beyond Domesticity," exploring the interplay between materials, aesthetics, and cultural connotations. By investigating objects that have unique biographies and lived-experiences, Beyond Utility reveals how utility dress can shape ideas of style, from factories and battlefields to runways and city streets.
Throughout history, fashion and anti-fashion groups have adopted and abstracted clothing born out of necessity, continuously negotiating between form and function. Showcasing never-before-displayed objects from the MFIT Study Collection and the FTS Graduate Study Collection, the exhibition pairs utility dress archetypes with their later reinterpretations, featuring designs from Issey Miyake, BOY London, Bonnie Cashin, Junya Watanabe, Burberry, Moschino, and more. The case studies span three sections, unbound by chronology: "Workwear: Beyond Labor," "Military: Beyond Combat," and "Craft: Beyond Domesticity," exploring the interplay between materials, aesthetics, and cultural connotations. By investigating objects that have unique biographies and lived-experiences, Beyond Utility reveals how utility dress can shape ideas of style, from factories and battlefields to runways and city streets.