Visit FIDM Museum objects currently on display around the world:

Motorcycling ensemble, 1930s, Museum purchase and various donors

Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960

FIDM Museum in Association with American Federation of Arts

Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 is the first exhibition to explore the evolution of women’s sporting attire in Western fashion over a 160-year period. Examining the competing priorities of fashion, function, and propriety, Sporting Fashion features approximately 65 fully accessorized ensembles and a selection of sport-related accessories and ephemera, all drawn from the collection of the FIDM Museum. With a corresponding exhibition catalogue.

In America: A Lexicon of Fashion; In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Metropolitan Museum of Art

September 18, 2021-September 5, 2022

This exhibition–the second in a two-part exhibition exploring fashion in the United States– highlights sartorial narratives that relate to the complex and layered histories of the American Wing Period rooms. The FIDM museum loaned two ensembles to this exhibition.

Dress, Stephen Burrows, c. 1969, Gift of Jo Holtzman, 2006.871.9

Fashioning America: From Grit to Glamour

Crystal Bridges Museum of Art

September 10, 2022-January 30, 2023

New Orleans Museum of Art

July 21, 2023-November 26, 2023

From cowboy boots and bathing suits to Hollywood gowns and streetwear, Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour presents American fashion as a powerful emblem of global visual culture. The FIDM Museum loaned eight ensembles and an accessory to this exhibition.

Vivienne Tam runway photograph, Spring/Summer 1995, Photograph by Michel Arnaud, Gift of Arnaud Associates, 2000.1095

(De)-constructing Ideology: The Cultural Revolution and Beyond

Wende Museum

November 13, 2022-March 12, 2023

The Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-76) was a period of tremendous social and economic upheaval. This exhibition explores the history and artistic production of the Cultural Revolution. It presents imagery from the period while investigating the circumstances of production, the relationship between art and ideology, and the agency of artists working within restrictive frameworks. The FIDM Museum loaned one ensemble to this exhibition.

Caftan worn by Rudi Gernreich, c. 1973, Bequest of the Rudi Gernreich Estate, G85.331.2

India in Fashion

Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

April 3-June 4, 2023

India in Fashion explores the layered impact that traditional Indian dress, textiles and craft have had on the international fashion sensibility since the 18th century. The FIDM Museum loaned four ensembles to this exhibition.

Tuxedo shoes worn by Marlene Dietrich, Delman, 1950s, Loan by the Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, L88.1.210AB

Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion

ACMI, Melbourne

April 5-October 1, 2023

Through iconic stories, characters and moments from over 120 years of moving image history, Goddess celebrates the women and gender-transcending superstars who shaped their own roles, took creative control, and fought a system that tried to exploit them. The FIDM Museum loaned four objects to this exhibition.

Ensembles, Bonnie Cashin, mid-20th century; Gift of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Gift of Helen & Phillip Sills, Gift of the Southern Oregon Historical Society,  77.1964.014; 80.649.3 ; 95.c.1970.10.09D/E ; 2000.824.21

A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes

Cooper Hewitt, New York

July 7-February 4, 2024

The first monographic exhibition in more than 50 years on designer and weaver Dorothy Liebes (1897-1972). Among the most influential designers of the 20th century, Liebes shaped American tastes in areas from interiors and transportation to industrial design, fashion, and film. The FIDM Museum loaned two ensembles to this exhibition.

Alexander McQueen evening dress, Fall/Winter 2008-09, FIDM Museum Commission: Funds generously provided by Karen Coombs-Jordan, 2010.5.73

India: Fashion’s Muse

Phoenix Art Museum

February 29 – June 21, 2020

India: Fashion’s Muse will explore western fashion’s centuries-long love affair with the riches of India. Inspiring designers from streetwear to couture, the opulence of India has generated global fashion trends that have outlived empires.

Giorgio di Sant’Angelo dress, 1976-79, Gift of Betye Burton, 2014.145.9

Studio 54: Night Magic

Brooklyn Museum

March 13–July 5, 2020

Studio 54: Night Magic traces the radiant history, social politics, and trailblazing aesthetics of the most iconic nightclub of all time. The exhibition uses photography, fashion, drawing, and film  to place the nightclub within the wider history of New York, from Prohibition through the 1970s. Blueprints and architecture models illustrate the club’s innovative development and creation, while documentation of extravagant theme parties traces its thirty-three month run. The exhibition continues through the years after the nightclub’s closure, showing the ongoing influence of Studio 54 aesthetics.

Requesting a Loan

The FIDM Museum loans objects to qualified institutions around the world. For information about loan procedures, download the FIDM Museum Loan Program overview, Conservation Stipulations, and Outgoing Loan Conditions. For further questions, contact: Kevin.Leslie.Jones@asu.edu