A virtual exhibition by the students of the MA program in Fashion & Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice at the Fashion Institute of Technology
All that glitters is not gold. It can be any medium that catches the light, shines, and reflects. While for millennia, the materials most associated with glitter were precious metals and gems, the years immediately after World War II saw a blossoming of new technologies that changed the relationship between fashion and light. All That Glitters… explores this connection through the levels of thread, fabric, and adornment and through the themes of textile manufacturing, cultural and financial values, and fashion conservation. In the second half of the twentieth century, glittering cloth, once affiliated with the wealthy, became accessible to everyone through the development of materials like Lurex, Mylar, foiled leather, plastic sequins, and holographic vinyl.
However, the new accessibility of glitter has some downsides. Plastic glitter–such as the kind used in sparkly eye makeup –has become a pollution and public health crisis. Stylistically, glitter plays an important role in the communication of identity, whether to evoke luxury or to increase visibility, as is the case for marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community.
All That Glitters… explores not just the development of textile technology, its preservation, and its use in design, but also the social meanings of materials we encounter every day.
