A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk Symposium at The Museum at FIT, November 8 & 9, 2013

The Museum at FIT’s thirteenth fashion symposium, A Queer History of Fashion, boasts over twenty participants, more than any symposium we’ve held yet. Over the course of two days, an international array of scholars, authors, designers, and curators will discuss both historical and contemporary issues related to queer designers, icons, fashion and style. And this year it’s FREE!

The symposium A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk will be held in the Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Auditorium, on the second floor of FIT’s Marvin Feldman Center, on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in New York City.

The exhibition A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk, currently on view, is the first museum exhibition to explore in depth the significant contributions to fashion made by LGBTQ individuals over the past 300 years. Join the conversation on the exhibition Facebook page.

Registration is required. Space permitting, attendees may register the day of the symposium. Check out the exhibition Facebook page for all the latest on queer fashion. (See schedule here: http://www.fitnyc.edu/21499.asp)

Day 1, Friday November 8, Haft Auditorium

9:00 am: Check-in

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

• Dr. Joyce F. Brown, President of FIT, Welcome
• Dr. Valerie Steele, A Queer History of Fashion
• Simon Doonan & Fred Dennis, in conversation
• James Gager, MAC: All Ages, All Races, All Sexes
• Dr. Christopher Breward, Couture as Queer Auto/Biography
• John Bartlett, My Life as a Gay Designer
• Dr. Monica L. Miller, All Hail the Q.U.E.E.N.: Janelle Monae and A Tale of the Tux

2:00 pm – 5:00 PM

• Fran Lebowitz and Valerie Steele, in conversation
• Kevin Sessums, The World was Safer Sitting Under my Grandmother’s Singer Sewing Machine…
• Vicki Karaminas, ‘Born This Way’: Lesbian Style Since the Eighties
• Liz Collins, Art Dykes and Hag Fags: An Insider’s View of Queer Style Icons
• Hal Rubenstein, Do Gay Clothes Have More Fun?

Day 2

 Saturday November 9, Haft Auditorium

9:00 am: Check-in

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

• Randolph Trumbach, Man-Milliners and Macaronis: Clothes, Same-Sex Desire, and the 18th-Century Origins of the Modern Sexual System
• Elizabeth Wilson, What Does a Lesbian Look Like?
• Dr. Deirdre Clemente, Life in the Closet: Deconstructing Liberace’s Wardrobe
• Shaun Cole, Queerly Visible: Gay Men, Dress, and Style 1990-2013
• Jonathan D. Katz, Queer Self-Fashioning

2:00 pm – 5:00 PM

• Ralph Rucci, The Greatest Gay Fashion Designers
• Kevin Sessums, The World was Safer Sitting Under my Grandmother’s Singer Sewing Machine…
• Vicki Karaminas, ‘Born This Way’: Lesbian Style Since the Eighties
• Liz Collins, Art Dykes and Hag Fags: An Insider’s View of Queer Style Icons
• Hal Rubenstein, Do Gay Clothes Have More Fun?

 

Major Exhibition To Explore Modern and Contemporary Latino Art Opens at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Oct. 25

“Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art”, now open at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s pioneering collection of Latino art and explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture.

Melesio ‘’Mel’’ Casas, “Humanscape 62”, 1970, acrylic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment. © 1970, the Casas Family

The exhibition presents works in all media by 72 leading modern and contemporary artists. Of the 92 artworks featured in the exhibition, 63 have been acquired by the museum since 2011, representing its deep and continuing commitment to collecting Latino art. “Our America” will be on view from Oct. 25 through March 2, 2014. Following its presentation in Washington, D.C., the exhibition will travel to six cities across the United States. The exhibition is organized by E. Carmen Ramos, curator of Latino Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Olga Albizu, “Radiante”, 1967, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of JPMorgan Chase

“The exhibition ‘Our America’ is the culmination of a major collecting initiative, still underway at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, to build a significant collection of Latino art in the nation’s capital,” said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “It is particularly exciting to debut so many artworks newly acquired for the museum’s permanent collection.”

The exhibition includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture and scenes of everyday life. Latino artists across the United States were galvanized by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s and they created new images of their communities and examined bicultural experiences. Many critically probed American history and popular culture, revealing the possibilities and tensions of expansionism, migration and settlement. Other Latino artists in the exhibition devoted themselves to experimentation, pushing the limits of their chosen medium. “Our America” presents a picture of an evolving national culture that challenges expectations of what is meant by “American” and “Latino.”

María Magdalena Campos-Pons, “Constellation”, 2004, instant color prints, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment. © 2004, María Magdale

“The relationship between Latino art and the larger world of American art in the post-War period is not simple or clear cut,” said Ramos. “Some artists, influenced by the activism of Latino civil rights movements, turned away from pure formalist discourse to tackle the pressing issues of the day. Others artists wholeheartedly embraced abstraction. An even larger group inhabited multiple worlds, infusing avant-garde modes with politically and culturally engaged themes.”

Holiday 2013 Gift Guide: Barbra Streisand’s “Back To Brooklyn” Concert To Debut November 25 As Columbia Records CD/DVD Package

“Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn” will also air on Great Performances on Friday, November 29 at 9 p.m. (check local listings) as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival.

Columbia Records has announced the simultaneous release of a CD and a CD/DVD package of Barbra Streisand’s critically acclaimed 2012 “Back To Brooklyn” concert, set to be released on November 25.  Filmed and recorded over two nights, the CD and DVD capture the superstar’s celebratory return to her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. With the CD, DVD and Deluxe CD/DVD, Barbra Streisand achieves yet another career milestone and proves along the way that you can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can’t take Brooklyn out of the girl.

A unique and compelling attraction of “Back To Brooklyn” is that the CD and CD/DVD combo features nine never previously performed songs by the star in concert. Ms. Streisand is the only recording artist to have accomplished #1 albums in five consecutive decades.  She has 51 gold albums, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums. Streisand has also earned eight gold DVDs, six of which have gone platinum and three of which have gone multi-platinum.

Barbra Streisand’s “Back To Brooklyn” Concert To Debut November 25 As Columbia Records CD/DVD Package. (PRNewsFoto/Columbia Records, Russell James, Copyright Barwood)

The DVD provides biographical video and still photo images of the artist’s childhood and early career. The evening marked her first musical performance in her native Brooklyn since she departed at age 16 to pursue her acting career and became one of the most popular and famous musical performers of her time.  Throughout the concert, Barbra reflects upon her years growing up in Brooklyn, and to mark the occasion, she commissioned special lyrics for two songs:

ACT I opens with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” which she turns into an homage to “the Brooklyn docks, the nova lox” and other fond memories of the sights and sounds of her youth.  When she triumphantly sings, “I’ve come home at last,” the audience rises from their seats with a thunderous welcome back ovation.

Barbra Streisand’s “Back To Brooklyn” Concert To Debut November 25 As Columbia Records CD/DVD Package. (PRNewsFoto/Columbia Records, Russell James, Copyright Barwood)

Barbra Streisand’s “Back To Brooklyn” Concert To Debut November 25 As Columbia Records CD/DVD Package. (PRNewsFoto/Columbia Records, Russell James, Copyright Barwood)

ACT II pays tribute to the people and places in Brooklyn today, with a re-written lyric to Cole Porter’s “You’re The Top“: “You’re the top, you’re a Brooklyn trolley…you’re the top you’re a hot bialy!”

SUNDANCE SELECTS Will Release ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME On February 21st 2014

A film by Chiemi Karasawa, Executive Produced by Alec Baldwin and Cheryl Wiesenfeld and Produced by Elizabeth Hemmerdinger and Chiemi Karasaw

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: Hamptons International Film Festival – Summer Docs 2013**

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: Traverse City Film Festival 2013**

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: Mill Valley Film Festival 2013**

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: BFI London Film Festival 2013**

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: Chicago Film Festival 2013**

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: Philadelphia Film Festival 2013**

**OFFICIAL SELECTION: Tribeca Film Festival 2013**

At 87, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains indisputably in the spotlight. In the revealing and poignant ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME, the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner is showcased both on and off stage via rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité. By turns bold, hilarious and moving, the film’s journey connects Stritch’s present to her past, and an inspiring portrait of a one-of-a-kind survivor emerges. In stolen moments from her corner room at the Carlyle and on breaks from her tour and work, candid reflections about her life are punctuated with photographs from her personal collection and words from friends (including Hal Prince, George C. Wolfe, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Tina Fey, James Gandolfini and John Turturro). Whether dominating the stage, tormenting Alec Baldwin on the set of “30 Rock,” or sharing her personal takes on her struggles with aging and alcoholism, ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME reaches beyond the icon’s brassy exterior and reveals a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and artist. ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME marks the directorial debut of acclaimed producer Chiemi Karasawa.

Submarine Deluxe Takes The Wheel With The U.S. Distribution Rights To “Weekend Of A Champion”

THE LOST DOC FROM PRODUCER ROMAN POLANSKI & DIRECTOR FRANK SIMON RESTORED BY BRETT RATNER’S RAT DOCUMENTARY FILMS TO HIT THEATERS NOVEMBER 22, 2013.

Submarine Deluxe, the distribution division of Submarine Entertainment founded and run by twin brothers Josh and Dan Braun, announced that it has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Frank Simon’s documentary WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION, an entertaining vérité look at world champion driver Sir Jackie Stewart as Roman Polanski follows his attempt to win the Monaco Grand Prix. In 1971, Motor Racing fan Roman Polanski spent a weekend with world champion driver Sir Jackie Stewart as he attempted to win the Monaco Grand Prix.  Polanski was given intimate access to Stewart’s world for three days, both on the track and off.  The result is an extraordinarily rare glimpse into the life of a gifted athlete at the height of his powers. Forty years on, Polanski and Stewart meet once again.  In a remarkable post-script, they discuss the sport, both past and present, with a unique and unmatched perspective.

Known as the “Flying Scot,” Sir Jackie Stewart’s passion for motor racing drove him to become one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, winning three World Drivers’ Championships and Sports Illustrated Magazine’s 1973 “Sportsman of the Year” award, the only auto racer to win the title.  The same year, Jackie also won BBC’s “Sports Personality of the Year” award and was named as ABC’s “Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year”.

This was all before excelling at a new career in broadcasting, covering NASCAR races and the Indianapolis 500 in conjunction with also becoming a consultant for Ford Motor Company and continuing to be a spokesman for safer cars and circuits in Formula One.

In 1990, Jackie was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and was honored with his knighthood in 2001.

“It’s an honor and a thrill to be working with Roman Polanski, Jackie Stewart and Brett Ratner to bring Weekend of a Champion to a US audience. This is an exciting and thought provoking film that should reach beyond the base of racing and cinema fans,” said Dan Braun

Submarine Entertainment is a hybrid sales and production company, consulting and strategizing on the sale and distribution of feature films and documentaries and producing unique and high quality feature films, documentaries and television properties. Submarine Deluxe is the company’s distribution label, which releases features films and documentaries including Being Elmo, Love Marilyn and the Academy Award nominated Chasing Ice.

WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION had its world premiere at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival.  The Hollywood Reporter called the film “An insider’s view of this high-risk, high-octane sport during its most lethally dangerous period.”

Submarine Deluxe will release the film theatrically across the country beginning November 22nd in NYC, with a nationwide rollout to follow. Presented by RatPac Entertainment’s documentary arm Rat Documentary Films, who first acquired and restored the film, WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION will also be released later on Netflix after its theatrical run. The film is Submarine’s follow-up to the Academy Award nominated film, CHASING ICE.

Rat Documentary Films is a division of RatPac Entertainment – the film finance and production partnership of filmmaker Brett Ratner and Australian mogul James Packer.  Ratner previously produced the controversial Sundance documentary Catfish; the acclaimed HBO documentaries Helmut by June, about the legendary photographer Helmut Newton and I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale, and for PBS the acclaimed Emmy®- nominated American Masters: Woody Allen – A Documentary.

As a director, Ratner has grossed over $2 billion worldwide, directing such hits as the “Rush Hour” trilogy, “Red Dragon,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and most recently, “Tower Heist.” Ratner’s next project is “Hercules,” which he is producing and directing starring Dwayne Johnson. James Packer is the Chairman of Crown Limited. Crown is one of Australia’s largest resort and entertainment groups and has properties and investments in Melbourne, Perth, Macau and London with a market capitalization of approximately $10 billion.

“Josh and Dan Braun have a passion for great cinema, most especially the documentary genre which makes Submarine the best home for Weekend of a Champion,” said Brett Ratner

A Street Celebration in Paris Launched The Isabel Marant For H&M Collection

On October 25th, enthusiasts including Audrey Tautou, January Jones, Freida Pinto, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Olga Kurylenko, Alice Dellal, Mélanie Doutey and Lou Lesage gathered in Paris to celebrate the launch of the Isabel Marant pour H&M Collection. In a lively urban atmosphere catching Marant’s bohemian energy, the collection was presented in cinematic settings that mixed images, films and models. Live performances by Grandmaster Melle Mel and Rappers Delight, originally of Sugarhill Gang was there to energize the atmosphere.

Audrey Tautou

Alek Wek wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Alexandra Golovanoff wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Alice Dellal is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Alma Jodorowsky is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Astrid Berges Frisbey is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Elena Perminova is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Freida Pinto wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Isabel Marant and Margareta van den Bosch

January Jones, Audrey Tautou, Isabel Marant and Freida Pinto.

January Jones is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Leila Bekhti is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

Olga Kurylenko is wearing Isabel Marant pour H&M

The event transported guests into a street slice of Paris, in the early 90s, the time when Isabel debuted her eponymous line: brasseries, neon signs, pizza shops, souvenir shops, epiceries, street vendors and people casually enjoying a stroll in the outdoors. The collection, that includes her most iconic pieces from her career, was presented in a filmic way. Images, films and street casted models revealed the world of Isabel Marant. The city being integral to her style, Paris came as a natural choice to celebrate the collection being launched on November 14 in around 250 stores worldwide and online.

“We wanted to present the collection in a way that felt real and casual, not a red-carpet extravaganza: this is how I see my work. I design for everybody and am constantly inspired by the world I see around me, so it felt natural to have an urban setting as the backdrop of the event. And it had to be Paris, because the city is part of my DNA,” says Isabel Marant.

Creating wearable looks with attitude is Isabel Marant’s straightforward design credo. Her collection for H&M symbolizes this distinctive philosophy: to offer real clothes that  capture the moment. With inspiration from the most beloved and iconic pieces from her career,  Marant has assembled an eclectic wardrobe of must-have downtown staples with trademark Parisian flair. Everything for a contemporary woman needs is included, from T-shirts to sweatshirts,  tailored outerwear to dresses, and chunky knits to sleek boots and bohemian accessories. Everything goes with everything, because Isabel is convinced that style is all about individual attitude. She encourages the wearer to interpret fashion freely.

The Isabel Marant for H&M collection is an eclectic mix of boho elegance and rock ‘n’ roll insouciance. The spirit is quintessentially Marant: masculine tailoring – expressed in coats and jackets with strong shoulders and cocooning cuts – is featured, together with skinny pants, sweatshirts, loose blouses, airy dresses and textured knits. Embellishment adds nuance, with tie-dye prints on pants and blouses and Western-style piping on lean pants. Skinny and cropped leather pants have an assertiveness softened by loop-knit pieces.

. Live performances by Grandmaster Melle Mel and Rappers Delight, originally of Sugarhill Gang

. Live performances by Grandmaster Melle Mel and Rappers Delight, originally of Sugarhill Gang

The same free-mix spirit extends to the teen wardrobe – a playful edit of its grown-up counterpart, with an emphasis on prints. Marant sees no real distinction between these two worlds – it’s mostly a matter of sizes. As a designer who started rebelling against accepted norms in her teens, it makes perfect sense to her.