Exhibitions and Industry Events

The 20th century saw unprecedented use of synthetic materials in all aspects of life. Fashion designers in particular were drawn to modern plastics for their unusual appearance and superior performance. Due to their unstable composition, however, these types of materials have shorter lifespans than natural fibers; some actually self-destruct.

The Secret Life of Textiles: Synthetic Materials exhibition, the third in a series at The Met focused on textile materials, features more than 40 ensembles and accessories from The Costume Institute’s collection, along with a special section that illustrates the typical deterioration process of plastics that have been integrated into historic fashions, emphasizing the material’s problematic behavior. Analytical images accompany selected objects, highlighting their physical properties.

WHEN: March 6 – September 4, 2017

WHERE: The Met Fifth Avenue
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028

ADMISSION: $25. Buy tickets at https://rsecure.metmuseum.org/admissions

The Costume Institute’s Spring 2017 exhibition examines the work of fashion designer Rei Kawakubo, known for her avant-garde designs and ability to challenge conventional notions of beauty, good taste, and fashionability. The thematic show features approximately 140 examples of Kawakubo’s womenswear for Comme des Garçons dating from the early 1980s to her most recent collection, many with heads and wigs created and styled by Julien d’Ys.

The galleries illustrate the designer’s revolutionary experiments in “in-betweenness”—the space between boundaries. Objects are organized into nine aesthetic expressions of interstitiality in Kawakubo’s work: Absence/Presence, Design/Not Design, Fashion/Anti-Fashion, Model/Multiple, Then/Now, High/Low, Self/Other, Object/Subject, and Clothes/Not Clothes. Kawakubo breaks down the imaginary walls between these dualisms, exposing their artificiality and arbitrariness.

WHEN: May 4 – September 4, 2017

WHERE: The Met Fifth Avenue
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028

ADMISSION: $25. Buy tickets at https://rsecure.metmuseum.org/admissions

Force of Nature examines how the beauty and complexity of the natural world have inspired fashion designers for centuries. The exhibition places more than 95 objects from MFIT’s permanent collection, dating from the 18th century to the present, within a context of period philosophies and scientific literature in order to demonstrate the deep interconnectedness between fashion and nature.

A 1775 robe à l’anglaise with a naturalistic pattern of fruit and flowers, illustrates a movement towards simple dress, influenced by philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, who urged a return to nature. A dress by Alexander McQueen from his acclaimed final collection in 2010, presents a meditation upon Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and concern over climate change. More than a survey of flora, fauna, and geology as merely decorative, the exhibition reveals the natural world as a nexus of ideas and symbolism in fashion design. Force of Nature aims to contribute to today’s important, ongoing conversation about society’s relationship with the natural world and humankind’s place within it.

WHEN: May 30 – November 18, 2017

WHERE: Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
7th Avenue at 27 Street
New York, NY 10001

ADMISSION: Free

Pratt Institute fashion graduate Jessie Sodetz will present her 2017 thesis collection during New York Fashion Week at RALPH PUCCI in Manhattan. Her 10-piece collection will be displayed on mannequins creating a still-life runway in the RALPH PUCCI Penthouse gallery with the designer in attendance presenting her work.

This year’s event marks the third-annual RALPH PUCCI New York Fashion Week exhibition in collaboration with Pratt. The showcase seeks to highlight the work of the next generation of up-and-coming artists.

Sodetz’s collection, which was presented at Pratt’s 2017 runway show in May, caught the eye of Ralph Pucci, Pratt Institute Trustee and head of RALPH PUCCI.

“When I saw the prints, colors and fabrics of Jessie’s collection I immediately thought what a fantastic collection. It’s modern, wearable and feminine but with masculine touches—perfect for a Pucci mannequin,” said Pucci.

The inspiration for Sodetz’s collection came from a personal reflection into areas of the designer’s personality, heritage, and spirituality. The collection, which features several menswear-inspired looks, highlights Sodetz’s artistic talent through hand-illustrated prints and a unique take on hand quilting.

About Pratt Institute: 

Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education, preparing 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information and digital innovation, and liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1887, Pratt has a historic, 25-acre campus in Brooklyn, as well as a signature building in Manhattan. Our esteemed faculty of accomplished professionals and scholars challenge talented students to transform their passion into meaningful expression and contribute to society as leaders in their fields. For more information, visit www.pratt.edu/news.

WHEN:  Fashion Reception: Thursday, September 7 (6PM-8PM)
Exhibition: Thursday, September 7 – Friday, September 15
Gallery hours: 10 AM-5 PM

WHERE: Ralph Pucci Showroom
44 West 18th St, New York, NY
Penthouse

ADMISSION: Free and open to the public