Museum at FIT: New expo to showcase modern Latinx American fashion

The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) opened the doors to its new exhibition last Friday, called ‘¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today’.

The spotlight is put onto designers from Latin American countries and those of Latin American heritage living in the US, who are often referred to as Hispanic, Latino/Latina, or Latinx, the gender neutral term.

The exhibition is a blend of over 60 items of the permanent collection and new additions, accompanied by bilingual texts in English and Spanish and supplementary fashion media.

The presented brands originate from more than ten different countries. To name a few: Barragán from Mexico, Suki Cohen from Colombia, Juan de la Paz from Bolivia and PatBo from Brazil.

By showcasing a wide variety of objects, sectioned into art, craftsmanship, elegance, gender, Indigenous heritage, politics, popular culture and sustainability, the museum intends to “challenge stereotypes about fashion by designers of Latin American heritage” and draw attention to the “diversity of talent”, as explained in the official release.

Long-time esteemed Hispanic fashion designers of the industry, such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta or Alexandre Herchovitch have paved the way for many young designers, for example Gabriela Hearst, Jonathan Cohen, Willy Chavarria or Kika Vargas. This next generation is now creating its own history, leading fashion houses, winning influential prizes and dressing celebrities.

The exhibition can be viewed until November 12 and is organised by Tanya Melendez Escalante, senior curator and public programs, and Melissa Marra-Alvarez, curator of education and research at The Museum at FIT.