FIN, marble print dress, organic bamboo satin, fall 2010, Norway, gift of Per Sivertsen of FIN.

It’s a fact! The green movement has taken over fashion and designers are becoming more and more aware of the terrible consequences some practices like textile dyeing and production can have on the planet. The origins of eco-consciousness are often attributed to hippies and the environmental movement of the 1960’s; however, there is a historical background for this ecological approach prior to the mid-twentieth century.

Day dress, green silk faille and green chenille, circa 1865, USA, museum purchase.

More than 100 garments, accessories, and textiles are displayed chronologically and help explain the exhibitions’ six major themes which include material origins, recycling of materials, textile dyeing and production, labor practices, craftsmanship, and the treatment of animals.  The exhibition also stresses the environmental cost of each stage of fashion production, and at the same time admires the effort of both designers and consumers to find solutions that minimize the impacts on Earth.

Curated by Jennifer Farley and Colleen Hill, the exhibition will be on view at The Museum at FIT in New York from May 26 through November 13, 2010, so you still have time! Don’t miss it!

Charmoné, Cezanne pumps, tan and red microfiber faux leather, 2010, USA, gift of Lauren Carroll and Jodi Koskella of Charmoné.

MUSEUM HOURS

Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8 pm

Saturday: 10 am-5 pm

Closed Sunday, Monday, and legal holidays.

Admission is free. For more information visit www.fitnyc.edu

All photographs by Eileen Costa, courtesy of The Museum at FIT, New York.