Faille

The Museum at FIT Presents Statement Sleeves

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 4, 2023
Torso, Arm, Elbow, Faille, Puff, LaQuan Smith, Sleeve, Collection, Mismatched, Adornment, Feather, Silk, Movement, Chronology, Museum, Wrist, FIT, Exhibition, Dior, Gesture, Personality, Riemannian geometry, Taste, Yves Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Sally Milgrim, Fashion design, Tailor, Phonograph record, Balenciaga

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- What is a "statement sleeve"? The fashion media has regularly used the term for less than a decade, yet many of us can conjure images of what it describes: a sleeve style that is exaggerated, embellished, elaborately constructed, or otherwise eye-catching to the extent that it defines a garment. Statement sleeves have been spotted on innumerable fashion runways in recent years, with no sign of waning. From puffed to ruffled, split to sheer, there is a style for everyone. Statement Sleeves, curated by Colleen Hill, curator, Costume and Accessories, will debut on January 24, and showcases nearly 80 fashion pieces from The Museum at FIT's permanent collection - the majority of which are on display for the first time - and features the works of renowned designers such as Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Schiaparelli, and Vivienne Westwood. They are organized thematically or by complementary aesthetics rather than chronology. The exhibition highlights how sleeves serve as a vital mode of self-expression that reflects our gestures and movements, showcases their ability to indicate specific fashion eras and their related trends, and proclaims their role as signifiers of status, taste, and personality.

Key Points: 
  • Statement sleeves have been spotted on innumerable fashion runways in recent years, with no sign of waning.
  • The opulence and excess of 1980s fashion was often expressed through outsized sleeves in luxurious fabrics, whereas current statement sleeves are both playful and fashion forward.
  • Statement Sleeves celebrates the seemingly endless creative variations on this fundamental element of fashion.
  • Striking sleeves continue to appeal for their democratic quality—they are not confined to a particular gender, economic status, or body type.