This Week >> 11/20/2008
Is it the end of fashion? The beginning? Or yet another beginning? What does fashion and style tell us about ourselves? The Museum-as-the-City-of-New-York or The City-as-the-Museum, exploring the past, present and the future of New York. Join Let's Travel and hear what Sonja Rubin and Frank Damone Milliren of Rubin Chapelle and Sarah M. Henry, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of The Museum of the City of New York have to say about fashion, style and the City. What is their take on fashion and the City?
Guests
Rubin Chapelle
Sonja Rubin and Kip Chapelle met in 1995 and later joined forces to create a line of clothing that is both avant-garde and yet eminently wearable. Rubin, originally from Vienna, Austria has been involved in the fashion world since the early age of 16, studying in Milan, London, and New York. She has worked under the truelage of renowned designer Vivienne Westwood. Her label, Rubin Chapelle, has been received by the international fashion press, retailers and loyal customers alike with great enthusiasm since the inception of the company in 1997. The dual elements of Rubin's eye for distinctive detail and construction, combined with Chapelle's eye for progressive authenticity provide the customer with a product that remains accessible while retaining its unique sensibility.
Sarah M. Henry, Deputy Director and Chief Curator
The Museum of the City of New York
Museum of the City of New York
Photograph by Harry Zernike
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
New York, NY 10029
Tel: (212) 534-1672
www.mcny.org
From the museum director, Susan Henshaw Jones:
The Museum of the City of New York's name says it all. Our unique mandate – to explore the past, present, and future of New York City and celebrate its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation – enables us to present a variety of exhibitions, public programs, and publications, all investigating what gives New York its singular character.
In this year alone, we presented exhibitions on the golden age of New York baseball, the city's transformation under planner Robert Moses, and the hip-hop fashion revolution in New York. Recent public programs have included a talk by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Robert Caro, an interior design symposium on New York's great residential spaces, and a musical tribute to the rich heritage of Yiddish theater and its influences on Broadway. Through our educational programs this year, children built their own model bridges based on New York's, conducted research projects for New York City History Day, and learned about New York's immigration stories through original hands-on workshops.
I am happy to report that the Museum’s own future is bright. We have raised over $50 million and begun construction on our $80 million Renovation and Expansion Project, which will modernize our landmark building, improving the visitor experience and the care of our collections. Fueling this renaissance is the strong support of the community, with attendance reaching 200,000 per year and membership rising 20%. In addition, we have seen increases in nearly every category of contributed and earned income this past year. Most notably, the 2007 Distinguished Business Award, presented to Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, raised an impressive $1.4 million. Thanks to your support, we once again ended the fiscal year with a modest cash surplus.
We have many exciting exhibitions and programs planned for the coming months. Please join us as we continue to explore what makes New York New York.