NYU Steinhardt Costume Studies

Did you know that renowned costume designer Adrian meticulously crafted between 2,500 and 4,000 costumes for the iconic film Marie Antoinette (1938)? And that's not all—there were 150 cast members and around 1,250 extras, each adorned in their opulent attire. Leading lady Norma Shearer alone mesmerized audiences with an astounding collection of 34 glamorous gowns and 18 exquisite wigs!✨

Let's take a moment to admire the stunning wedding gown worn by Marie Antoinette herself. This ethereal masterpiece was meticulously constructed with over 500 yards of satin, lavishly adorned with thousands of hand-sewn seed pearls, delicate hand-embroidered flowers, ribbons, and other exquisite designs. Not to mention, the dress's long train was adorned with intricate hand-embroidery, adding to its sheer grandeur!

Norma Shearer In Marie Antoinette (1938) Wedding Gown Costume Design By Adrian

"Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s” ✨📰

Unveiled in 1966 as a visionary promotional campaign for the renowned Scott Paper Company, these pioneering fashions revolutionized the industry by seamlessly merging bold graphic design with the era's cutting-edge advancements in space-age materials. Reflecting the spirit of the times, these avant-garde garments boasted patterns inspired by pop art, op art, anti-war sentiment, and the iconic "flower power" movement. From alluring A-line mini dresses to daring bikinis, the exhibition presents an array of paper fashion's iconic silhouettes and styles.

What truly sets these pieces apart is their innovative use of newly developed paper-like fibers, such as rayon, polyester, and other synthetic blends. Serving as daring demonstrations of the durability and design potential of these semi-synthetic and synthetic materials, Generation Paper sheds light on a captivating yet relatively unknown chapter in the history of design.

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Exhibition on view till Aug 27, 2023
Location at
Photo credit: Jenna Bascom

Reporting live from the !!!

The White Wedding (1840-1860)
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By 1840, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married, it was customary for a well to-do bride to wear white silk or fine white muslin. Muslin was also fashionable for summer day wear, but the delicate fabric needed skilful washing to keep it fresh and clean.

Wedding veils crafted from lace were highly coveted, although they came with a steep price tag. These veils were often treasured as heirlooms or repurposed as shawls within the family. A prevailing design during this period featured intricate motifs such as lilies, tulips, anemones, and ears of wheat, adding an elegant touch to the overall ensemble. Wax orange blossom became increasingly popular as a decorative trim for headdresses and bodices, lending a delicate and fragrant charm to the bride's attire.

Corset, a timeless piece of fashion history that continues to capture the imagination and attention of fashion enthusiasts even today. This particular corset, created between 1750-75, is a true work of art both inside and out. Its luxurious silk exterior is complemented by a lining of imported Indian chintz, featuring delicate floral patterns that add a touch of femininity and charm.

The off-the-shoulder straps and elaborate bows that connect them, combined with the gold lace trim on the stomacher panel, all point to the corset being intended as an outer garment, meant to be seen and admired.

Corset, 1750-75, European, silk, cotton, wood, baleen Metropolitan Museum of Art

In celebration of Donatella Versace's birthday yesterday, it's fitting to revisit the Atelier Versace Fall, 1998 collection. It was her debut couture collection, staged in the same room where her late brother Gianni Versace had presented his final show just a year earlier.

Whereas Gianni's designs were marked by sexual aggression, Donatella's style is distinctively metallic, featuring tulle woven with copper fibers, aluminum, and lace, as well as cashmere infused with aluminum. Her collection was a striking departure from the refinement and elegance of traditional couture fashion. Yet, amidst the collection's rawness and aggression, there were still poignant moments of hope. This collection served as a testament to her design vision, featuring fabrics with frayed edges, lopped-off hemlines, and feathers that quivered across suits🪶💫✨

It's that time of the year again, and fashion enthusiasts around the world are eagerly anticipating the MET Gala. This year's theme, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," celebrates the legendary fashion designer's career.

As we delve into the theme, we can't help but take a closer look at the iconic Claudia Schiffer , the 90s Chanel “It Girl”. Schiffer was a trailblazing supermodel and fashion icon who dominated the runways during the late '80s and early '90s. Lagerfeld, recognizing her exceptional talent, named her the official queen of Chanel, a title that she deservedly held.

From her stunning couture wedding dresses to her daring hot pink terry-cloth bikini top and tracksuit adorned with double Cs, Schiffer was the epitome of fashion-forward. Although she may not be gracing the red carpet tonight, her impact on the fashion industry and her unwavering influence will continue to inspire generations to come.

We had a lovely visit to the The Costume Institute yesterday, as we explored a myriad of stunning 19th century evening dresses, corsets, and robe à la française, amongst other breathtaking garments❣️

The intricacy and attention to detail found in each of these garments is nothing short of remarkable, can't believe some of them are still in good condition after all the decades! It's always a intimate experience to have a close look at the details, thank you so much for having us ✨🥰🥰

Summer is just around the corner🌵👙🌞
Delve into the enchanting era of the 1890s, and one cannot help but marvel at the iconic bathing costumes of that period. These suits were designed to exude a sense of modesty and sophistication, with a distinct emphasis on concealing rather than revealing.

To ensure that the female form remained demurely covered, fabrics such as wool flannel, wool jersey, mohair, linen, cotton, or some combination thereof were used. It is worth noting that these bathing suits were not intended for rigorous swimming but rather for leisurely wading or simply lounging on the beach.

Image: A Page from Jordan Marsh Catalog 1897

Rei Kawakubo's has always been a trailblazer in the fashion industry since its inception in 1969. The SS1997 show 'Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body' was no exception, showcasing avant-garde designs that challenged traditional notions of beauty. The collection featured asymmetrical and bumpy lumps that were puzzling yet captivating.

The accompanying advertising images in CDG SIX 1/4, presented in collaboration with Visionaire No. 20, featured pictures of seafood and crustaceans of similar colors. Kawakubo's inspiration for this collection may have been rooted in humanity's genetic origins and the evolution of forms over time.

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Photography by Kishin Shinoyama
Art Direction by Tsuguya Inoue for Beans
CDG SIX 1/4 in collaboration with Visionaire No. 20
Image credit from

We got a little field trip to yesterday for our History of Costume: The 19th Century class!

The museum is housed in a Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1832 for wealthy merchant Seabury Tredwell and his family.

Throughout the tour, we had a glimpse into the lives of the Tredwell family and the wider social and cultural context of 19th-century New York City. The museum boasts an impressive collection of original furnishings, decorative arts, and household items, many of which have been carefully preserved or restored over the years!✨

Remember this? ⚡️👀

David Bowie's “Black and White Striped Bodysuit" was a standout costume from his Aladdin Sane tour in 1973, designed by the Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto.

The exaggerated silhouette of the costume is reminiscent of the work of Oskar Schlemmer, a Bauhaus artist and choreographer known for his optical costumes for the 1922 ballet "Das Triadische". Schlemmer's ballet costumes reflect his interest in geometry, with their heavy and stiff architectural structure transforming the human body into a geometric and formalist shape. Similarly, Yamamoto's design for Bowie's costume sought to create a visually striking and memorable silhouette.

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➢ Image:
1&2. ’ KABUKI' stage costume by Kansai Yamamoto for David Bowie, 1973. Photograph taken by Masayoshi Sukita. © The David Bowie Archive
3. Oskar Schlemmer, Costume from Das Triadisches Ballett, 1922.

With the lately Y2K aesthetic revival in the fashion industry, we must take a look back at the SS00 collection from !

The late 1990s saw a shift away from the preppy and minimalist styles that had dominated the early part of the decade, towards a more eclectic and individualistic approach to fashion. Tommy Hilfiger's Spring 2000 collection reflected this shift, with its mix of high and low elements, unexpected combinations, and playful use of color and print.

The collection also featured a variety of textures and fabrics, including cotton, denim, and silk. Hilfiger incorporated elements of traditional menswear, such as pinstripes and blazers, into the collection, but gave them a modern and feminine twist. Would you be down to wear the pieces from this collection today?

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Image:
All from Tommy Hilfiger SS00 collection, via

“50 YEARS OF HIPHOP STYLE”

The “Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style” exhibition at FIT museum features over 100 garments, 3D videos of iconic natural diamond jewelry, and customized accessories from the hiphop fashion evolution.

You can find some of your favorite hiphop icons’ wardrobe here - LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Rihanna, and much more; and the OG hiphop designers and brands: from Dapper Dan jackets to custom diamond chains by Jason of Beverly Hills. These unforgettable pop culture fashion moments are still relevant today and continue to inspire everyday people.

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👑Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style🎤
Currently on view at
February 8 - April 23, 2023
curated by Elena Romero and Elizabeth Way
Exhibition designed by Courtney Sloane Design

IT’S YAYOI KUSAMA’s DAY!
Happy 94 birthday our queen of dots🔴⚪️

The relationship between body art and costumes had always been Kusama’s main focus. In the late 1960s, Yayoi Kusama had her own fashion boutique store called KUSAMA in New York. As you can see from the photos, her signature pieces were strategically cut holes in intimate places, representing her signature polka-dot motifs.

Image Credit:
1. Yayoi Kusama and her models for the KUSAMA Fashion Show, New York, 1968
2. From a fashion shoot with Kusama and some models on a rooftop in New York, 1968.
3. A fashion show in Kusama’s New York studio, 1968

*All image courtesy of © Yayoi Kusama, Yayoi Kusama Studio Inc.

Jeremy Scott is stepping down from his role as creative director at Moschino after a decade of pop culture-infused, eye-catching, and surprising collections. Sad to see him go😩😭

Here are some iconic moments from Scott’s work at . What’s your favorite moment?

➢ Image:
1. Jeremy Scott and Katy Perry attend The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion
2. Katy Perry dressed as a (working) chandelier at the 2019 camp-themed Met Gala.
3.  Katy Perry appeared as a hamburger (costume from Moschino) for the 2019 Met Gala after-party
4. Lizzo in this Hersey’s chocolate bar gown from Moschino’s memorable 2014 collection to the 2020 Brit Awards
5. Gigi Hadid dressed as a flower bouquet for the SS18 runway show
6. Backstage photo of Fall 2022 collection “Gilt Without Guilt” from Milan Fashion Week. Shot by Sonny Vandevelde
7. McDonald's-inspired duds from FW14 collection
8. Life-sized measuring tape from SS19 collection
9. Marie Antoinette-inspired cake dress from the FW20 collection
10. Moschino Pre-Fall 2020 collection — in New York style

The Teletubby glow up is real thanks to !

⭐️ MARK YOUR DATE ⭐️
Our annual Richard Martin Symposium is back in person this year! We are happy to invite you to join the symposium, presented by three of our master's candidates in NYU Costume Studies:

🔘 Charles McFarlane | Military Surplus and American Popular Fashion, 1945-1975

🔘Emma Vest | Living Amongst the Spindles: The New England Offering, 1848-1850

🔘Katherine Pan | Cynthia and Miquela: The Stories of Two Artificial Women Across Time

AND...we are happy to have Rachel Tashjian , Fashion News Director of Harper's Bazaar, as our guest speaker. How exciting!🥳

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NYU Costume Studies | 22nd Annual Richard Martin Symposium
📍Friday, March 31, 6–8 PM
📍Einstein Auditorium at The Barney Building (34 Stuyvesant Street)

We are open to the public — please see our event page for more info (LINK IN BIO)🥂🕺🏻📝

The first ever idea of a catwalk show was actually called the “Mannequin parade” in the early 1900s. It was debuted by an English designer, Lady Duff Gordon (also known as Lucile).

Lucile was always ahead of time, constantly searching for new ways to expand her business. She quickly recognized that seeing garments on a moving body helped clients visualize themselves in dresses. Hence the debut of “Mannequin parades”✨

The Mannequin Parade quickly became a staple in dressmakers' establishments and upscale department stores.

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➢ Image credit:
George St garden, Mannequin parade of , London, 1913. Courtesy of

In honor of Women's History Month, we want to highlight some of the influential female designers in history, and today we’ll take a look at Madeleine Chéruit’s spectacular work.

Chéruit was one of the first women ever to control a major fashion house in France. Her aesthetic tend to be more traditionally feminine, which Vogue observed in 1915 and commented that she ‘keep the house to its original type but bring much originality to it’. Apart from growns, Chéruit was also known for her evening wraps, work in fur, children’s clothes, lingerie, blouses and trousseaus.

In this photo Marion Morehouse was dressed in the Chéruit sequined silver chiffon gown.

➢ Image Credit:
1. Chéruit Gown, from Vogue 1927, Photography by Edward Steichen
2. Gown from House of Chéruit, image courtesy of

Anime and luxury collide once again in the LOEWE x Howl’s Moving Castle capsule collection. 🏰

Swipe to see the pièce de résistance: the Moving Castle backpack crafted in calfskin.

What a lovely night at the opening panel for “Made in Italy | Sold in America” exhibition💞💞💞

This exhibition was curated by one of our alumni, Marcella Martin ! It also features fashion garments from our Costume Studies MA Study Collection and private collection from 🥳

The exhibition highlights the Italian lifestyle magazine Attenzione, which was published in the United States in the early 1980s for an elite readership of Italophiles. Don’t miss out if your into the Italian-American fashion culture!

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📍Exhibition Info📍

Made in Italy | Sold in America
Fashion in 'Attenzione' Magazine, 1979-1987
Currently on view at
from March 2 - May 5, 2023 (Mon-Fri 10-6)

Sharing this Vogue cover from 1893 📝

In the 1890s, women fashion valued freedom of movement and expression. The petticoats and bustles of the earlier 1800s were replaced by smooth, flowy skirts. The transitional shift reflected the new sports women enjoyed that required a wider range of motion.

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➢ Image:
Vogue Cover from Jan 21, 1893, Vol. 1, Iss. 6. From Vogue Archive

⚪️⚫️Black and White Color Play⚪️⚫️

Dorothea McGowan in a dress by Jean Dessès, Paris, 1962, Photo by

This iconic purple and white pinstriped suit worn by Rose when boarding the Titanic was based on a tailleur by the British designer Linker & Co. Rose’s massive hat appears to be a toned down version of the original, but is a much more opulent design. What is your favorite costume from Titanic?

PS. It’s time to rewatch the iconic (again!), screening now in theaters for its 25th anniversary🚢❤️

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➢ Image:
1-4 Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt in 'Titanic', 1997, costume designed by Deborah L. Scott
5 Tailored suit for the afternoon by Linker & Co. , 1912, Les Modes (Paris)

Rihanna and stylist are a fashion duo to be reckoned with. Rih’s super bowl performance further cemented her as a visual culture phenom that also paid homage to another black fashion leader: the late André Leon Talley. For her performance she wore a voluminous red Aläia coat that recalled André’s signature red Norma Kamali puffer coat. She paired it with a Loewe breastplate to match.

Thoughts on this touching tribute?

Good Saturday morning! Letting you know that the curators’ tour of the Costume Studies exhibition, “Fashion, Or the Enchanting Spectacle of the Code” is postponed until March 4. Hope to see you then!



Curators’ Tour
March 4th, 2023

Join the exhibition curators for a guided tour of Fashion, Or the Enchanting Spectacle of the Code. Each curator will present their displayed objects and associated research in a sidewalk popup-style tour that promises education alongside the excitement of Greenwich Village’s bustling streets!

This event will be held on March 4th, 2023 at 3:00 pm outside 80WSE Gallery’s Broadway Windows, located at 60 E Tenth St, New York, NY, 10003.
This event is open to the public.

They say behind every great woman is a great man…💪🏻 Well, Bob Mackie had Cher’s back for years! Out of all the crazy looks Cher had pulled off, the Met Gala dress from 1985 definitely hit different❤️‍🔥

Mackie told that “the idea was the American girl who was blonde and had the beehive or a big flip. There were no girls with black hair or girls that had a little more nose than usual. All of a sudden, all these girls that had long black hair could say, ‘I have black hair like Cher.”

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➢ Image:
1-4 Cher and Bob Mackie at the "Costumes of Royal India" MET Gala in 1985
5 Illustration of the dress by Bob Mackie

may you rest in peace🕊🤍

Paco Rabanne created the space-age aesthetic while challenging industry standards through the design, fabrication, and construction of his trademark dresses.

"Pliers, pincers, hammers and glue are the tools of my trade" - Paco Rabanne, 1967.

1. BTS moment with Paco Rabanne, 1966
2. A look from Paco Rabanne’s first collection, 1967. Photographed by Jack Robinson
3. Paco Rabanne, 1966
4. Paco Rabanne, 1966
5. Paco Rabanne, fall 1967
6. Paco Rabanne, fall 1967
7. Paco Rabanne, fall 1974

This iconic image was part of a series of photos by David LaChapelle titled Lil Kim: Luxury Item. Then-editor of Interview magazine saw it and demanded it be taken down to use for their November 1999 cover. Lil Kim became a fashion darling, and the rest is history!

Who are your fav fashion photog and muse partnerships?

BTS moment from our exhibition by our second-year Costume Studies students✨

Welcome to join us for our open reception at tonight at 5pm!

SEE YOU ALL SOON🥂

Happy Chinese New Year to you all 🐰

Sharing some of the photos where Anna May Wong was wearing “cheongsam,” a traditional Chinese garment. Being the first Chinese American movie actress in Hollywood, Wong shaped racial modernity and made her one of the most significant actresses of the 20th century.

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Image Credit: all from
1. The photo was a promotional shot for the movie, The Daughter of Shanghai, featuring movie actress Anna May Wong.
2. Photoshoot from movie “Limehouse Blues”, Wong wore a dress featuring a large dragon motif.
3. Wong in an editorial photo shoot in 1935
4. Wong’s portraits from Dangerous to Know and King of Chinatown by Eugene Robert Richee.

These remarkably eye-catching braided gowns were made by designer Yoichi Nagasawa for S/S ‘06. Would you cop?

These earrings, dated circa 1875, are in the Museum of Childhood collection at the V&A museum in London. Honeycreepers are tropical birds native to Central and South America and feature here as stuffed heads with glass eyes. The creator of these, who remains unknown, attached pampille adornments that mimic the bird's feet (next slide) from certain angles. They also added a gilt fly caught in the bird's mouth. Whimsical? Decadent? Creepy? All of the above?

One of the early design of puffer jackets — the white eiderdown jacket, designed by Charles James in 1937. Considered to be one of his most important designs, James explained the white eiderdown jacket as “an experiment with quilting”, the sleeve is cut in one with the
front panel of the jacket. This cut is referred to vaguely and incorrectly as a semi-kimono cut, and it necessitates insertion of a shaped gusset at the bottom edge of the armhole.

The jacket demonstrated triumph in both cut and construction, an example of the technical artistry of Charles James.

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➢ Image Credit:

1. The white eiderdown jacket worn to the show by Jerry Hall (and shown here on Pat Cleveland), image courtesy of
2. Dana Jenny in the eiderdown jacket. Harper’s Bazaar October 1938, Photography by Horst P. Horst
3. The Eiderdown Jacket in the archive of the Victoria and Albert Museum, image from “Charles James: The Couture Secrets of Shape
4. Eiderdown Jacket sketch by Antonio Lopez, image from “Charles James Portrait of an Unreasonable Man – Fame Fashion Art”

Starring the iconic Hollywood actress Angela Lansbury, the film “The Harvey Girls” featured numerous Wild West saloon girl costumes. However, this spectacular gold gown sets Em (Angela Lansbury’s role in the film) apart from the other saloon girls. Most of Em’s costumes are much brighter and fancier than the Harvey Girls and also tend to have more embellishments that were popular in the period, like the sequin flowers and the super squiggly pattern.

This photo was captured by Walter Sanders for LIFE Magazine.

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Angela Lansbury on the set of the 1946 film “The Harvey Girls”
Captured by Walter Sanders, courtesy of LIFE Picture Collection

Anime fans, this is for you! Some more Mugler content to close out the week: Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi took inspiration from from the runway when creating her characters, namely her iconically campy villains! Here are some Thierry Mugler moments that made there way into the Pretty Guardian world! All illustrations are Takeuchis, and runway shots from Mugler 1992. What are your favorite high fashion moments from anime?

There’s a special relationship between Helmut Newton and Theirry Mugler. As the exhibition dedicated a section to Newton, it stated on the introduction: “Newton photographed women as seductive and powerful-always formidable, if not intimidating-which complimented Mugler's fashion propositions.”

In fact, Newton was the reason why Mugler started photographing for his own brand. Newton told him, “You know, your Polaroids are good, you have your own way of looking at things. All you need is a good assistant to set up your camera.” And ever since, Mugler took those words to heart and started his photography journey.

Here are some photos of Mugler captured by

➢ Image courtesy of

Alessandro Michele’s tenure at Gucci brought about some incredible collaborations with performers. This dress was created for Björk, and legend goes it took nearly 900 hours to complete! What are your favorite designer/musician looks?

Photo is taken by

With a long weekend upon us, this is your PSA to visit "In America An Anthology of Fashion" and "A Lexicon of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art before they close on September 5th!

Anthology presents fashion in collaboration with cinema with essentially three-dimensional screenshots created by prominent American directors. A totally immersive experience, the exhibition plays with sound and film in order to tell a story about American fashion and its influence on American culture.
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We want to wish you a very safe and happy Labor Day Weekend and let you know that we will be taking a break from posting as we kick off our fall semester.

As a now alum of the Costume Studies program, it is time for this content creator to pass the baton on to the next group of program assistants who will, undoubtedly, continue to share fabulous and creative stories and ideas surrounding costume with you all! In the meantime, it has been my pleasure to share with you over the last year and a half!
xx, Jacqueline Novak ( )



Images courtesy of Jacqueline Novak