Staten Island fashion fair to focus on unique aspects of the borough

STATEN ISLAND, NY A contemporary fashion exhibition focused on unique aspects of Staten Island will open later this month at the Newhouse Contemporary Arts Center on the grounds of the Snug Harbor Botanical Garden & Cultural Center in Livingston.

Staten Island Fashion: Identity, Memory, Fashion is a community-driven exploration of what people wear and why in relation to personal and local identity. It showcases the borough’s memories and experiences, curated by fashion researchers Jenna Rossi-Camus and Alexis Romano.

We are excited to open Staten Island Mode at the Newhouse Center. Not only is it Staten Island’s first major fashion exhibition, but it’s also centered on the community’s unique stories and objects, said Melissa West, director and senior curator, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art.

Rossi-Camus and Romano, who are both from Staten Island, met by chance in 2011 while studying fashion history in the United Kingdom. During a casual conversation in a London pub they discovered their common origins and began imagining the exhibition that would become Staten Island Fashion.

Wu Wear T-shirts, handmade hats, prom dresses, clothes passed down from family members, and personal photographs that capture memories of clothes and places with distinction and convey the texture of this life, Staten Island Mode challenges hierarchical narratives of what fashion is. , and argues that everyday makeup artists are fashion writers, says Romano.

Staten Island Mode presents thematic garment and photography installations, emphasizing the importance of clothing in shaping one’s identity and self-expression. Through a curatorial experiment involving an open call to participation, the exhibition captures the diverse dress identities of Staten Islanders — addressing the broader question of what it means to be a borough resident and how perceptions and realities of life differ.

This project perfectly embodies Snug Harbor’s vision to be an incubator for bold and innovative arts through residencies, exhibitions and public programmes. We invite visitors to explore the exhibition while contemplating their own relationship to local fashion, history and culture, explains West.

The exhibition spans four rooms, each adopting a different approach to collecting and interpreting clothing. These spaces pay homage to individual stories and the influences of fashion design and retail on Staten Island.

The Staten Island Fashion exhibition has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own relationship to the borough and its space, community and style, said Rossi-Camus. Looking back on nearly 20 years living abroad, the experience has become something of a homecoming as well as a fashion love letter to the place that engineered my passion for art, storytelling, and fashion.

Mark your calendars for the exhibition’s grand opening on July 29, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, located in Building C at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. Get your opening day tickets via the Snug Harbor website. The entry fee is pay what you want, with a suggested price of $5 to $15.

The exhibition will be shown until December 31. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, midday to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5; $4 for students/elderly; free for members.

The event is accompanied by a catalog and a series of dynamic public events during its run, including:

A History of Modern American Dress, Aug. 10, 7 p.m

Join fashion historian and culture curator Fiona Tedds for a visual and material exploration of modern American clothing, in a cultural context, from the turn of the 20th century to Y2K. The talk will include observing objects from Tedd’s historic fashion collections.

Old Fashioned Tasting, Aug. 17, 7 p.m

Join Staten Island Fashion’s creative team for a drink tasting at Old Fashioned Bar in Sallys Southern, West Brighton. Participants will sip and chat fashionably with all their makeovers. Dress code is recommended. Wear your interpretation of Old Fashioned clothing, whether it’s your favorite vintage look, or last season’s second-hand item.

For more information on Staten Island Mode, visit Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden website.