“La Tuta: The Journey of the Jumpsuit,” is on view in the Steel Plant Fashion Gallery, October 21-November 20
 

October 17, 2019—Freddie Mercury. Elvis Pressley. Farrah Fawcett. These icons had one thing in common: they embraced the jumpsuit as a key fashion staple.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the jumpsuit, the Marist Fashion Program has curated the exhibition, “La Tuta: The Journey of the Jumpsuit.”

This collection, which contains 50 historic and contemporary garments and will be on display in the Fashion Gallery of the Steel Plant at Marist College from October 21-November 20. The exhibition is free and open to the public and kicks-off with an opening reception on Monday, October 21, 6:00pm, featuring a talk by Danilo Ceri. Ceri is the director of Archivo Storico Vintage in Italy, a fashion research gallery.

The history of the jumpsuit dates back to Italy in 1919. The garment, known as “la tuta,” was first designed by Ernesto Michahelles. His original sketches of the versatile-T-shaped design have served as inspiration for countless designers.

“Many people believe the jumpsuit started with Halston,” said Juan Manuel Olivera-Silvera, Professional Lecturer of Fashion Design at Marist. “But the truth is this garment has a rich, interesting history. ‘La Tuta’ explores that by showing examples from the early 1900s to modern designs by Halston and Marist designers.”

The Marist Fashion Gallery is open Wednesday-Friday, 11:00am-3:00pm.

The Marist Fashion Program is top-ranked by the premiere industry publication Business of Fashion. 

Jumpsuit design by Cara Benevenia '17