NEW YORK, Sep 20, 2010 / — Fashion Culture programs are organized by The Museum at FIT (MFIT) to provide new perspectives on the culture of fashion. FIT is located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street.

The following programs are free. However, reservations are required, as space is limited. To register, email museuminfo@fitnyc.edu or call 212 217.4585. Check for program updates at www.fitnyc.edu/museum .

Lolita Tea Party
Tuesday, October 5
6-8 pm
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, first floor

A fascinating conversation followed by a Lolita tea party. GASHICON, who oversees graphic design for fashion brand h.NAOTO and illustrates the HANGRY & ANGRY serial comic strip, will talk about kawaii (cuteness) culture and Japanese fashion with Masayo Fukuda-Williams and Jeff Williams, founders of the New York-based clothing store Tokyo Rebel, which features Japanese street fashion styles from rock and punk to gothic and Lolita by brands such as Angelic Pretty, Victorian maiden, and SEX POT ReVeNGe. The event will include a tea party, complete with pastries, all things Lolita—and the opportunity to be photographed wearing charming LoliHime outfits.

Fashion Conversations
Informal, freewheeling discussions with leaders from the world of fashion

Matthew Williamson and Laura Brown
in Conversation with Patricia Mears
Thursday, October 21, 6-8 pm
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, first floor

Join fashion designer Matthew Williamson; Laura Brown, features/special projects director at Harper’s Bazaar; and Patricia Mears, MFIT deputy director, for a lively conversation to mark the release of Matthew Williamson, a new book by fashion historian Colin McDowell. A book signing will follow.

Lectures and Book Signings
Eco Fashion
Sass Brown
Tuesday, October 26, 6-8 pm
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, first floor

FIT faculty member Sass Brown presents her new book, Eco Fashion,
a comprehensive look at the environmentally conscious designers who are changing the fashion industry. By promoting recycling, redesign, reuse, sustainability, fair trade, and community development, these artists combine concern for the planet with love for exceptional fashion. A book signing will follow.

Japanese Fashion in New York
Steven Alan
Thursday, October 28, 6-8 pm
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, first floor

The incredibly precise yet remarkably unstudied tailoring for which menswear designer Steven Alan is known finds its complement in his personal search for perfection in Japanese fashion. Alan will talk about that search, its rewards, and the discoveries he has made along the way.

Talk and Tours
Japan Fashion Now
Held on selected Monday evenings and weekday mornings. Check-in is in the lobby of The Museum at FIT, located on the southwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 27th Street.

Join exhibition curator Valerie Steele for a tour of the special exhibition Japan Fashion Now. Staged in a dramatic mise-en-scène evoking the cityscape of 21st-century Tokyo, this exciting exhibition features approximately 100 ensembles that represent Japanese fashion in all its radical creativity. Tours will be followed by signings of the companion book, Japan Fashion Now.

Monday, October 11, 6 pm
Tuesday, October 19, 10:30 am

Eco-Fashion: Going Green
Co-curators Jennifer Farley and Colleen Hill will lead tours of Eco-Fashion: Going Green, an exhibition that surveys 250 years of fashion’s complex relationship with the environment. The show features brands such as Stella McCartney, Bodkin, EDUN, FIN, Martin Margiela, and NOIR.

Monday, October 4, 6 pm ((Farley)
Wednesday, October 27, 10:30 am (Hill)

Workshops
The Origomu Project
Tatiana Pages
Thursday, October 7
10:30 am-1 pm
MFIT lobby

Led by Tatiana Pages, workshop participants will craft unique jewelry pieces from recycled and renewable materials. To learn more, visit ww.origomu.com.