The Museum at FIT’s upcoming exhibition ¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today examines the work of 21st-century Latin American and Latinx fashion designers.

Oscar de la Renta, cocktail ensemble, circa 1974, USA, gift of Isabelle Leeds. Coat dress in lime green silk satin with contrast black velvet collar, CF placket and cuffs, and wide contour belt, rhinestone “cufflinks” and belt buckle

The exhibition features over 60 objects from the museum’s permanent collection, including many new acquisitions, bilingual texts presented in English and Spanish, and supplementary fashion media. It spotlights designers from Latin American countries, as well as designers of Latin American heritage living and working in the United States who are often referred to as Hispanic, Latino/Latina, or the gender-neutral term Latinx.

For decades, fashion designers of Latin American descent, such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Edmundo Castillo, Victor Alfaro, and Haider Ackermann, have been central figures of the fashion industry. Their successes have paved the way for new generations of talented designers, including Gabriela Hearst, Jonathan Cohen,Romina Cardillo of Nous Etudions, Willy Chavarria, Raul Lopez of LUAR, and Kika Vargas. These represent but a few of the emerging designers who are making their mark on the global scene by helming fashion houses, winning prestigious awards, and dressing celebrity clients.

Gabriela Hearst, ss22, look-4. Courtesy of Gabriela Hearst.

The exhibition is thematically organized into sections that address art, craftsmanship, elegance, gender, Indigenous heritage, politics, popular culture, and sustainability. It seeks to challenge stereotypes about fashion by designers of Latin American heritage, moving away from a notion of a singular Latin American style and drawing attention to the diversity of talent.

Carolina Herrera, evening dress, fall 1988, USA, gift of Carolina Herrera, Ltd,. Cocktail dress with black velvet mini sheath with round neck and wide padded shoulders, and bustle/train in white silk taffeta with black polka dots, attached to dress back in large inverted-V

The exhibition includes brands from more than ten countries including 1/8 Takamura (México), Barragán (México) Suki Cohen (Colombia), Juan de la Paz (Bolivia), Jorge Duque (Colombia), Escvdo (Perú), Gypsy Sport (United States), Julia y Renata (México), Carlos Miele (Brazil), Johanna Ortiz (Colombia), PatBO (Brazil), Ricardo Seco (México), Yliana Yepez (Venezuela) and many more.

¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today is organized by The Museum at FIT’s Tanya Melendez-Escalante, senior curator of education and public programs, and Melissa Marra-Alvarez, curator of education and research.

Ricardo Seco and Mauricio Carrillo, beaded sneaker, spring 2015, Mexico, gift of Ricardo Seco, 2015

The Museum at FIT is the only museum in New York City dedicated solely to the art of fashion. Best known for its innovative and award-winning exhibitions, the museum has a collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present. The museum’s mission is to advance knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. The museum is part of the Fashion Institute of Technology, a State University of New York school, which has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history.