Graduate Theses

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Advance Pattern Co., 1932-1980: A Company Lost to Time

Taleah Cameron

2025

Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

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Thesis

Though unknown now, between 1932-1966 Advance Pattern Company was one of the biggest competitors in the sewing pattern industry. They did this by selling themselves as a fashionable brand with easy-to-sew patterns. This reputation, paired with their vast array of sewing patterns meant to appeal to various customers, was what solidified their place in the home sewing market. Despite utilizing all sorts of branding and advertising tactics to build a successful business the company disappeared and fell into obscurity. How did this once strong company disappear without much explanation, while its former competitors, Simplicity, McCall's, Vogue, and Butterick, still manage to maintain relevance in the home dressmaking market today? An analysis of older articles, archival materials, books, and the company's sewing patterns help in understanding what business decisions elevated or ultimately hindered the company, in hindsight.

The Impact of Digital Technologies on Contemporary Curatorial Practice

Heeae Kim

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

This paper examines the transformative influence of digital technologies on contemporary curatorial practices by exploring their integration across key domains of museum operations. Chapter I traces the historical evolution of museums alongside technological advancements, offering a foundation for understanding the shift from traditional preservation methods to dynamic, audience-centered approaches. Chapter II focuses on Augmented Reality (AR), investigating its capacity to overlay digital content onto physical exhibitions, thereby enhancing storytelling and fostering interactive learning. Chapter III delves into Virtual Reality (VR), highlighting its ability to create immersive and boundaryless exhibitions, Chapter IV explores Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for curatorial analysis, thematic development, and visitor engagement, while addressing ethical and practical challenges, such as diminished curatorial visibility in AI-driven projects. Through case studies and critical analysis, this thesis evaluates how AR, VR, and AI not only enrich exhibition design and accessibility but also reshape the roles of museums and curators. By addressing these dynamics, this study underscores the balance required between technological innovation and curatorial expertise to ensure museums remain inclusive, culturally significant spaces in a digital age.

Case Study & Business Plan for Charriot Motors

K. C. Charriot

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

It Was Never About the Car…Racing has always been at the core of car culture, shaping not only technological innovation but also society's evolving taste in automobiles. From the Paris-Rouen Trial of 1874, where early motorized vehicles competed to prove their reliability, to today's Formula 1 spectacles, racing has driven both mechanical advancements and emotional connections. These events set the stage for cars to become cultural icons, reflecting desires that extend far beyond their functional purpose. Over the decades, societal tastes have been shaped by a blend of media, advertising, and the thrill of racing. Classic films like Bullitt (1968) and The Fast and the Furious franchise ignited fascination with high-performance vehicles, while shows like Knight Rider and Pimp My Ride celebrated customization and personality. Advertisements from brands like Jaguar and Chevrolet, emphasizing speed, freedom, and luxury, turned cars into symbols of aspiration and identity. Cars came to represent much more than transportation—they became mirrors of status and self-expression as well as evolving cultural norms.

The Evolution of Graffiti From the Trains to the Art World

Sofia Rudensky

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

The evolution and continuation of graffiti as an art form in New York City reveals a remarkable transformation from an act of rebellion to a recognized and lucrative art form. As graffiti progressed the motives and goals of the artists changed. What was once an act of defiance which produced a sort of high for these artists turned into lifelong and profitable careers. Through the exploration of the key moments in graffiti's history, such as the formation of the United Graffiti Artists collective (UGA) , the first gallery exhibitions and the rise of graffiti in auctions, illustrates the dynamic nature of the graffiti community and its capacity to adapt to changing cultural landscapes. Furthermore, the legal recognition of graffiti as a protected art form, exemplified by the 5Pointz case, has further solidified its legitimacy. Early taggers have evolved into established artists, collectors, and influential figures in the art world, driving up the market value of graffiti art. Museum exhibitions, auctions, and media attention highlight the shift of graffiti as an accepted form of art. The longevity of graffiti can be attributed to the artists' ability to pivot and mature while maintaining the core principles of "art by the people, for the people". Overall, the journey of graffiti from an ephemeral street practice to a lasting and valued form of artistic expression is due in part to the dedication of the graffiti community and its supporters.

Exploring the Incongruence of Institutional and Art Market Support of Feminist Artists of the 1970s

Lillian Winkelmann

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

This thesis concerns the relationship between deficient art market performance despite institutional support of artists of the Feminist Art Movement of the 1970s, using the careers of Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, and Faith Ringgold as case studies. Despite the relatively different approaches of all three artists, themes of non-collectability due to medium, scarce inventory, and overall sexism in the industry have emerged. Research consists of firstly exploring the historical context of the Feminist Art Movement of the 1970s, followed by a case study for each artist which individually examines institutional support and analyzes market trajectories. A fourth case study, which reviews the peculiarity of Yayoi Kusama's immense success, provides a supplemental comparison to Chicago, Schapiro, and Ringgold. While many artists are associated with the Feminist Art Movement of the 1970s, the scope of this research is limited to Chicago, Schapiro, and Ringgold in order to effectively evaluate the incongruence between support from the art market and institutions. Though all three artists slightly differ in findings for these inconsistencies, the overarching motivation for this cause is that collectors disfavor Feminist art due to its politicization, controversial baggage, and overall aesthetics.

The Art of Sustainability: Empowering Environmental Stewardship in the Art Sector

Rebecca Kent

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

The present thesis is broken up into two parts; a business plan (part I) and a case study (part II) that together examine the integration of sustainability in the art sector. The business plan outlines how RK & Co. Consultancy will provide art institutions with tailored services for greater environmentally-conscious operations. With services such as carbon emissions audits, strategy development, and eco-conscious exhibition design, the consultancy addresses the sector's unique challenges, particularly emissions from travel and shipping and the absence of standardized frameworks. Positioned at the intersection of art and environmental responsibility, RK & Co. Consultancy serves as a trusted partner for organizations seeking to lead by example in the race against climate change, redefining the art sector as a model for sustainability and innovation.

From Fandom to Fine Art: Museums' Capitalization of Pop Culture

Emma O'Brien

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

The following thesis examines the relationship between museums and pop culture, and how the evolution of the role of the museum has influenced this. Three case studies of museums within pop culture and media will be used, Night at the Museum (2006), Ocean's 8 (2018), and the "APESHIT" music video by The Carters (2018), respectively. Each chapter will detail a specific way in which the role of the museum has changed through specified subjects, namely education, fashion, and music. The first chapter will focus on Night at the Museum, a children's film which takes place at the American Museum of Natural History. The history of the Museum will first be contextualized, alongside its mission to educate the public. Dissecting the public's response to the film, the impact the film had on the Museum will be analyzed. Using the film Ocean's 8 as a case study, Chapter Two will outline the Metropolitan Museum of Art's (the Met) role in the making of the film as well as analyzing how the Museum is portrayed. In looking further into the relationship between Ocean's 8, Vogue, the Met Gala, and the Met, this chapter will illustrate the shift the Museum has gone through in regard to its place within pop culture. Analysis of the public's reception of the film as well as the overall impact the film made on the Met will be highlighted. The final case study chapter will focus on the "APESHIT" music video by The Carters which was filmed in the Louvre Museum. This third chapter will illustrate the history of the Louvre and its previous attempts to broaden its audience, the pop culture phenomena that are Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and outline the music video itself. Themes within the video will be analyzed, as well as the public's perception, and the impact this had on the Louvre. Together, each chapter will provide a comprehensive overview of how museums' have increasingly leveraged pop culture to directly increase visibility to their institution.

The Rise and Fall of British Punk: How Capitalism Plagued a Subversive Subculture

Teegan Oshins

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

This thesis provides an overview of the 1970s British Punk movement's inception to determine whether the subculture fell victim to capitalization and consumerism. By examining Jamie Reid (1947-2023), Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022), and Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010), the story of the famed band the Sex Pistols is told through its visual arts and marketing tactics. Each figure's legacy provides this thesis with the intricacies of Punk history and its transition into a subculture plagued by consumerism.

A Journey of Integrating Technology and Art: Xiaomi Group’s Marketing and Branding CROSSPARK International Culture and Creative Consultancy = 科技和艺术的融合之旅：小米集团的市场和品牌

Yi Liu

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

Cross-industry collaborations as a marketing strategy are not new. Luxury brands have long mastered the art of leveraging artistic associations in their process of decommercialization, aiming to reshape their brand image to emphasize their cultural depth. However, in recent years, marketing practices that involve collaborating with artists and leveraging the power of art have spread across a wider range of industries. Especially with the rapid growth of technology, more tech companies are now using art in their marketing efforts to make their products stand out in a sea of similar offerings, creating emotional connections and a sense of uniqueness.

The Survival of the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archives: A Case Study A Plan for the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art to Establish a Permanent Home for Queer Film

Christopher Berger

2024

Art Market Studies

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Thesis

In the Castro District of San Francisco, where rainbow flags wave among the streets, a distinct institution serves as both a mirror and a beacon for the LGBTQ+ community. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society, Museum and Archives, often referred to as "San Francisco's queer Smithsonian," is a vibrant testament to the community's resilience and pride. It stands out as a vital educational institution for the community it serves, and as an exemplar among LGBTQ+ arts, historical, and archival institutions in the U.S. Their strategies are a model for thriving in the face of major sociopolitical obstacles for small culturally specific museums, especially in the LGBTQ+ sector. The GLBT's Executive Director Roberto Ordeñana, key staff members Isaac Fellman and Leigh Pfeffer, and supporters including Cleve Jones, a pivotal figure in the fight against HIV/AIDS and a co-creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, contemplate the organization's next chapter. Despite its rich history and vital mission, the museum faces mounting financial and operational challenges. As public interest waxes and wanes and resources dwindle, the museum team and its allies face hugely consequential decisions about who and what it is and how far it must go to ensure that its heritage remains intact for future generations.

Voices of Strength

Sarah Agudelo

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

Domestic violence can have profound and lasting effects on individuals and affect almost every aspect of their lives. It can often create health and personal challenges making it easy for victims to be triggered in spaces. The stages of an abusive relationship can be difficult to recognize due to their layered complexities and subtleties. My thesis proposes "Voices of Strength" as an experiential exhibit for domestic violence survivors, a safe haven created through the principles of trauma informed design; where women can find a sense of community and foster empowerment through various reflecting activities in spaces intentionally designed to promote active healing and vulnerability.

“Haute Craft” by House of Khadi Rebranding Luxury Through Art

Saher Sahni

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

Luxury is a subjective experience, varying widely across cultures, professions, and personal values. What may be a luxury for one person might not hold the same allure for another, highlighting the fluid nature of luxury and the evolution of its meaning. Historically associated with exclusivity, craftsmanship, and elite status, luxury today intersects with values like sustainability, accessibility, and innovation, reshaping its image to reflect contemporary ideals.

DREAMS: The Ultimate AI

Jude Desinor

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

In this thesis, my objective is to highlight the areas within the exhibition design industry that could be improved through the study of dreams, as well as conceptualize and implement design interventions to fill in these gaps. Through this detailed theory and graphic documentation, I aim to help the intended audience learn what makes dreams and understanding the subconscious crucial tools for self-improvement and understanding of the world.

Natural Neighborhoods Creating Well-Being for Individuals With ADHD and Autism

Sarah Miorelli

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

Spaces such as museums, cultural institutions, zoos, aquariums, and themed entertainment spaces are integral to the human experience and one's search for knowledge, growth, community, and well-being. These spaces encourage and nurture learning, creativity, empathy, and understanding of the world around us. However, what may be an engaging experience for some may be overstimulating and overwhelming for others, especially those with unapparent disabilities such as ADHD and autism. Museums are making great strides to address this problem by offering sensory-friendly hours, sensory kits, and sensory guides. These are helpful accommodations, but they are often implemented after spaces are completed and operational, when these accommodations could be integrated with a Universal Design process from the beginning. By expanding the principles of universal design, and centering this design on well-being for those with unapparent disabilities, designers can take steps to dismantle ableism and create more inclusive spaces for individuals with ADHD and Autism. These design choices can include low-stimulation environments, transitional spaces, "quiet spaces," predictable or familiar features, and "wayfinding." The following thesis and applied design project illustrates how it is possible to accommodate individuals with unapparent disabilities in a successful way that does not affect, and possibly even enriches the neurotypical experience.

Sharing Experiences: Exploring Participatory Design for Traveling Exhibits in Non-Traditional Host Sites

Carlos Hernandez

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

Museums are increasingly interested in growing their outreach and social presence in their home communities and beyond. Traveling exhibits have long provided a way for museums to connect with diverse and distant audiences outside of their home communities, however many traveling exhibits are designed primarily with peer institutions in mind. There is an opportunity to grow engagement with potential host organizations outside of the typical museum hierarchy and introduce museum content into more facets of our social infrastructure. Locally engaged organizations such as community centers, non-profits, universities, and libraries have rich insights and networks in their home communities and can use traveling exhibitions as a catalyst for developing unique, place-based experiences that enhance the visiting content. By incorporating participatory design strategies and encouraging co-creation with traveling exhibit content, designers can adapt traveling exhibitions to be more impactful and accessible to diverse hosting organizations and their communities.

Inclining: Aging With Energy Is Aging a Skill?

Honey Jernquist

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

Inclining: Aging with Energy is a fun house of reimagining: connecting people with best practices for healthy aging in fun and unexpected ways, and engaging embodiment with humor and possibility. Getting old is also getting new. The challenges of embodiment are always and ever. What if we reimagine aging as a skill? What if we reimagine our visions of aging? What if we (re)encounter having fun in the body — what that might have been, what that could be? Why not grow into the playground, instead of out of it? Is our construct of aging fundamentally based on the flawed philosophy of the compartmentalized, disembodied concept of mind? Let's explore!

What Is in a Name? A Deep Look at How Names Factor into Our Identity

Meredith Newman

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

This document is written in order to qualify for graduation from the Exhibition and Experience Design Master of Art program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. This document is organized in two parts. The first part focuses on research around a topic in exhibitions and/or experiences. The second part is an application of the research in hypothetical practice.

The River Has Teeth Monsters, Myth, and You in the Florida Everglades

Steven Coward

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

This document is organized in two sections. Part One outlines the theory of use and intent with regards to wayside signage and interpretive trails in outdoor spaces, while Part Two implements this theory in an applied project.

Creating With Community: Imagining Collaborative, Justice-Oriented Spaces

Kellyn Nettles

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

This paper explores some of the necessary parameters, including concepts, physical structures, and strategy, for exhibition designers to consider as part of the co-creation process in local communities, with the goal of sustaining movements for broader social change. I will detail my research on the topic, and propose a solution on behalf of clients that operate on a grassroots level. Key principles of this research were outlined by members of Àrokò Cooperative, a design organization formed in 2020 that is dedicated to cultivating a future of Black Liberation, care, and well-being for Earth and all of her inhabitants. The Àrokò Cooperative Design to Divest manifesto states:

Women’s Words & Old Wives’ Tales: Immersive Design in Interpretive Environments

Claire Caverly

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

In the field of experience design, "immersive" has become a term applied to a wide range of projects with little clarity or definition. What does it mean to immerse? The literal definition is "to plunge, or to cover entirely."5 Immersive environments require that visitors are completely absorbed into the stories we as institutions are telling, and in order to embody these stories, visitors need context. Context is provided through multidimensional design that engages all five senses in an accessible and recognizable manner. This context, coming from the Latin "con texere" or "to weave together,"6 provides visitors the cues to craft the meaning of the space themselves, personalizing the experience. Through the provision of context, immersive design offers visitors an innate familiarity of the story, an invitation to participate, and a sense of inclusion.This thesis seeks to define what makes an experience immersive, explore cross-disciplinary techniques for providing context and demonstrate the memorable impact that immersive techniques can have within interpretive environments. Through a synthesis in design elements, immersive, interpretive environments have the opportunity to appeal to the whole person – intellectual, emotional, and physical – creating greater opportunities for lasting relationships with the content.

Experiencing Introversion What Does It Feel Like to Be an Introvert in an Extroverted World?

Akshata Chitnis

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

The first part of the paper delves into introversion by examining its influence across different environments, using case studies to highlight the specific challenges and disadvantages introverts face due to the pervasive Extrovert Ideal. This ideal promotes extroverted traits—like sociability, assertiveness, and public enthusiasm—as standards for success, often sidelining qualities associated with introversion.

Puzzled? Building Inclusive Branded Experiences for Children With ADHD

Sakshi Lokhande

2024

Exhibition and Experience Design

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Thesis

Children's experiences are specially designed with sensory engagement at the forefront. Delving deeper into this theory, this paper helps educators and designers explore the perception of subject matter by children with ADHD through light, sound, touch, smell, and color. It also discusses the impact of ADHD on children's acumen and their ability to enjoy the designed experience with a focus on branded environments. Through the above mentioned sensory pathways, this study aims to help designers by providing baseline parameters for an inclusive space that welcomes and encourages all children to be intuitive and enjoy play.

Fashioning in the Flat: Collage as a Contemporary Approach to Self-Styling

Claire A. Calvert

2024

Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

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Thesis

Fashion and collage are related in that they have historically been—and remain—intertwined with self-expression and the development of personal style. Like fashion, collage, which is created by collecting, cutting, and combining things, conveys meaning through a system of signs. Historically, collage has been defined rather strictly as a paper medium. However, leaving space for more expansive material parameters lends greater significance to aspects of collage such as the ways in which fragments are combined. Examples of fashion-collage from the seventeenth century through today exemplify that the activity of collage uniquely allows for individuals to explore style expression beyond the physical body and demonstrate material literacy. For fashion media and retailers, collage can be a means of encouraging fashion consumerism and suggesting choice. Examining fashion magazines from their seventeenth-century emergence to their present-day state illuminates the ways in which magazine images evolve. As printing and photography become more accessible and widely used, editorials become more collage-like. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the disposability of magazines, combined with their abundance of enticing illustrations and photography, encouraged readers to use them as materials for fashion-collages–serving as what I term "off-the-body fashion expressions." In the twenty-first century, the now-defunct fashion-collaging website Polyvore took fashion collaging from the physical to the digital, serving as a platform to both create and share digital fashion mood-boards. As the majority of twenty-first-century fashion is ready-to-wear, and consumers have largely lost their material literacy, digital fashion-collage proved to be an excellent medium for building sartorial-sign literacy, and continuing the longstanding relationship of fashion and collage.

Beyond: Fashion Design MFA 2024 Graduate Showcase

2024-09-10

Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)

Video
Fashion shows
Fashion photographs
Masters theses

Welcome to the culmination of our journey, BEYOND, where FIT Fashion Design MFA students from diverse backgrounds and cultures converge to redefine boundaries and celebrate unity in diversity. BEYOND explores the limitless possibilities where creativity knows no borders. Drawing inspiration from our unique heritages, each garment transcends traditional norms, embracing fluidity in silhouette, texture, and identity. Our collections are testament to the richness of our individual stories, woven together into a tapestry of innovation and inclusivity. We invite you to experience fashion that speaks a universal language of beauty and resilience — from the vibrant hues of South Asian embroidery to the minimalist elegance of Scandinavian lines — where every stitch tells a story of courage, heritage, and the boundless spirit of creativity that unites us all.
— FIT Fashion Design MFA Class of 2024

Harmonious Collision

Ziling Dong

2024

Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)

Video
Image
Fashion shows
Fashion photographs
Masters theses

Ziling Dong is a women’s wear designer whose specialty is finding harmony in contrast and conflict. Delicate insight often leads her into contradictory thoughts, prompting her to strive for a balance between reason and sensibility. Stylistically, she is influenced by the orderliness and fluidity of industrial aesthetics. Through exquisite and structured fabric, a minimalist silhouette, and the flowing divide, a feminine image of hardness and tenderness is created.