Theory Hosts NYPL Style Archives

Ever wonder how Diana Vreeland prepared for the next Met Gala, whose names made the cut for Truman Capote’s infamous Black and White Ball guest list or what inspired Christian Siriano’s gilded COVID-era mask designs? The answers can be found in the style archives at the flagship location of the New York Public Library (NYPL) — yes, the library.

On Wednesday, as part of a three-part partnership with fashion brand Theory, the NYPL hosted an industry invitation-only event showcasing a curated glimpse into its expansive collection of fashion-related holdings.

The event, led by NYPL curators specializing in manuscripts and photography and presented in partnership with Theory, highlighted artifacts that connect fashion to the zeitgeist, spanning the cultural milieu of the city to political and deeply personal narratives. Did you know the NYPL owns and houses the fashion icon Diana Vreeland’s papers? The curated selection spanned decades of fashion-related influences, including paintings by renowned French artist and designer Sonia Delaunay, materials from the grassroots activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and issues of the “East Village Eye,” the 1980s newspaper that documented New York’s downtown cultural scene from punk to hip-hop.

With a collection of more than 56 million items, all accessible to the public — by appointment, of course — you never know what you might discover beyond the bookshelves.