Fashion and Psychoanalysis: Exploring the Connections between Dress, Dreams, and Desire

The Museum at FIT (MFIT) in New York City is hosting the first exhibition dedicated to exploring the cultural history of fashion through a psychoanalytic lens. Titled “Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis,” the exhibition runs through January 4, 2026. Curated by Dr. Valerie Steele, this exhibit brings together nearly 100 garments from the 1880s to today, featuring designs by iconic names such as Azzedine Alaïa, Coco Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, and many others.

The exhibition is divided into two galleries. The first traces the historical relationship between fashion and psychoanalysis starting around 1900 with Sigmund Freud himself. It examines how Freudian ideas influenced the cultural perception of fashion, linking it to sexual liberation in the 1920s and Surrealism in the 1930s, while also exploring how psychoanalysis evolved during the Cold War era.

The second gallery takes a thematic approach, investigating psychoanalytic concepts like Freud’s and Carl Jung’s dream theories, as well as Jacques Lacan’s mirror stage. It also delves into the perception of fashion as a mutable second skin.

An accompanying event, the Fashion and Psychoanalysis Symposium, will be held on November 14, 2025, at FIT’s Katie Murphy Amphitheatre. This public event includes discussions with notable psychoanalysts, fashion scholars, designer Bella Freud, and actress Laverne Cox. Alongside the exhibit, Dr. Steele’s book, “Dress, Dreams, and Desire: A History of Fashion and Psychoanalysis,” will be published in November 2025.

The Museum at FIT holds over 50,000 garments and accessories and offers free admission. For more details, visit the museum’s website.