¡Moda Hoy! Exhibition on Latinx Fashion Lands at The Museum at FIT

CFDA: For decades, fashion designers of Latin American descent have been central figures of the fashion industry. The Museum at FIT (MFIT) cements their legacy with an exhibition titled ¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today which examines the work of 21st-century Latin American designers—often referred to as Hispanic, Latino/Latina, or the gender-neutral term Latinx.

The exhibition features over 60 objects from the museum’s permanent collection, including many new acquisitions, through texts presented in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, as well as supplementary fashion media. Eleven Latin American countries are represented in the showcase.

The successes of pioneering designers like CFDA members Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Victor Alfaro, Adolfo and founding member Luis Estévez paved the way for new generations of talented designers. Narciso Rodriguez, Maria Cornejo, Francisco Costa, Edmundo Castillo, Esteban Cortázar, Isabel Toledo and Rick Owens inherited their legacy of excellence. New generation talent like Gabriela Hearst, Jonathan Cohen, Willy Chavarria, Raul Lopez of LUAR, Rio Uribe of Gypsy Sport, and Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte are also making their mark on the global scene by helming fashion houses, winning prestigious awards, and dressing celebrity clients.

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.

Challenging traditional notions from English-language media viewing Latin American fashion as an exoticized other or homogenous entity, the exhibition celebrates the diversity of talent that continues to shape contemporary fashion.

¡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 and is on view through November 12, 2023