Tonight, Madison Avenue Fashion Heritage Week kicked off at Missoni’s Madison Avenue boutique in New York City. We joined Luca Missoni, Artistic Director of the Missoni Archive, and Dr Valerie Steele, Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, for a conversation also attended by members of the Couture Council of the Museum at FIT. The Couture Council will receive part of the sales proceeds during the weeklong Madison Ave Fashion Heritage event.
The participating boutique retailers all have industrious and relevant histories in fashion and society, and each contributes to an interactive excursion for smart phone users as they walk Madison Avenue.
“The concept of heritage has become evermore important for fashion and luxury companies,” says Steele, which spurred this engaging weeklong initiative. Boutiques are offering in-store programming, curated fashion windows, interior displays and exhibitions, and special events to share and convey the culture, history and overall wealth of brand heritage to consumers.
“These curated fashion windows … draw on the DNA of the brand,” Steele continues, referencing the storytelling intention behind each unique and icon-inspired window display, one of the main attractions along Madison Ave this week. Historic garments and archival materials make up only some of the media used in constructing the intricate displays, all of which can be live accessed on mobile devices.
To take part in the innovative and history-rich NYC weeklong initiative, visit MadisonAveFHW.org and the hashtag #MadisonAveFHW.
A Missoni look
A look from Hermes
A Etro look
A Calvin Klein Collection look
A look from Brunello Cucinelli
by Emily Rae Pellerin
Images are SS15 collection pieces from participating MAFHW boutiques
Images via Style.com