Towards the end of last year I visited the Museum at FIT for the second time (the first exhibit I saw there was “Black Fashion Designers“). I love it there because it’s free, thoughtfully organized, and not overwhelming at all, like many museums in NYC are. And despite the fact that it’s kind of small, there are always so many wonderful pieces on display. It’s a great area too. After my friend and I checked out the exhibit, we grabbed some delicious burgers right down the street at BRGR.
This particular collection, “Force of Nature,” revolved around garments that (obviously) are inspired by the natural world — animals, whether, plants, etc. The range of designers was impressive and included Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and more. The exhibit also included both old and new designs, which is always a nice way to compare and contrast different designers or even the same designers and how they have evolved.
This specific theme is a big one to tackle because so much of what we see is inspired by nature. Not just fashion, but all types of art and design. However, despite the vast amount of possible ways they could have tackled the overwhelming, but beautiful topic of nature, I think the exhibit did a really awesome job. They showed bits and pieces of different categories of nature and how they relate to one another. Spread throughout the exhibit are examples of whether: a jacket of lightning and a gown of stars, plants: different floral patterns, blossoming shoes, and even photosynthesis itself printed on a dress, and animals: zebra and cheetah dresses, feathers, and snake skins.
Overall, it was a great experience for a weekend day trip and I can’t wait to check out some more of their exhibits this year!
xoxo, Kayla
