Arbiters of Style - the roles of women in the fashion industry

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DESIGNING WOMEN


Although it's been said that well-behaved women rarely make history, the same doesn't apply to well-dressed women, as the Museum at FIT proves with Arbiters of Style. The exhibit, which spans 250 years, brings together a disparate group of designers, buyers, and wearers with one thing in common: They're of the fairer sex. From Coco Chanel's liberating suits to Caroline Reboux's structureless cloches to Vivienne Westwood's deconstructed Anglomania suits, fashion is as much about frivolity as it is reflecting changing social conditions (be they gaining the right to vote, ridding wardrobes of the corset, or spearheading women's lib). “Just like in other businesses, women's involvement has increased over the years, but we also make the point in the exhibition that women have been active in fashion as designers and promoters since the 18th century” say the exhibit's co-curators, Molly Sorkin and Colleen Hill. While Karan, Prada, Herrera, and even the sisters Mulleavy have become household names, both Sorkin and Hill see this development as only the beginning: “The roles of women continue to evolve. Globalization ensures that the fashion industry is constantly growing, providing opportunities for an increasing number of women.” Hillary, take note.

Arbiters of Style, May 21-November 8, The Museum at FIT, Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, New York, NY, 212-217-4558

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Irene evening dress, 1942

"Fashion has always provided women with means to express themselves and support themselves financially," say co-curators Molly Sorkin and Colleen Hill.

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Louiseboulanger evening dress, circa 1929

This Louiseboulanger dress, owned by Muriel King (who, four years later, would start her own label), was considered trend-setting thanks to its loose shape and dropped hemline.

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Caroline Reboux cloche, 1929

Although it seems mundane today, the cloche was actually revolutionary in the world of millinery; It was one of the first hats that didn't need wire to help give it shape. Reboux pioneered the shape that would inspire legions of girls to bob their hair.

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Vivienne Westwood "Rocking Horse" boots, 1987

"The terms 'arbiter' and 'tastemaker' get thrown around so often today that it's hard to predict who will stand the test of time," says Sorkin, adding, "That's why we did the show, because we wondered about that."

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Vivienne Westwood suit, 1993

Westwood employed traditional British dressmaking techniques to come up with a very radical suit; The precise tailoring and tartan fabric look more punk than proud Britannia.