WHAT’S SEXY NOW: A Lingerie Retrospective at FIT
“The design of lingerie enhances its allure: it strategically reveals, conceals, and highlights the wearer’s form. As French lingerie designer Chantal Thomass observed, ‘The essence and attitude of lingerie is all in suggestion.“
–Colleen Hill, MFIT curator
Believe it or not, Victoria’s Secret didn’t invent lingerie (shocking, right?). The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) unlocks the mystery of intimate apparel through the ages in EXPOSED: A History of Lingerie, the Museum at FIT’s latest exhibit.
Starting with the whaleboned corsets & bustles of European royal courts, the well-edited retrospective takes us on a whirlwind tour of lingerie history: from modest-but-elaborate early-20th century dressing gowns to the modern, unstructured “camiknickers” of the Jazz Age; to the 1950s-Dior petticoats and structured undergarments (very Betty Draper) through the mod/minimalist aesthetic of the 60s, all the way to today’s super-provocative styles. With this exhibit, lingerie proves its enduring power to thrill. (And be sure to keep an eye out for a sexy appearance by yours truly!)
You can experience the exhibit for yourself at The Museum At FIT through November 15.
