Textiles Close Up: The Dressed Body and Wearable Innovations

<p>The Textile Society of America (TSA) is pleased to announce Textiles Close Up: The Dressed Body & Wearable Innovations, a new two-day, multi-site public humanities program taking place June 23–24, 2026, in Syracuse and Ithaca, New York.</p> <p>Developed by the TSA in collaboration with exceptional regional partners, Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center; the Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection at Syracuse University; the Thousand Islands Arts Center (Home of the Handweaving Museum); the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection in the Department of Human Centered Design; the Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University; and the Everson Museum of Art, together we will explore the evolving relationship between body, cloth, and innovation through distinctive collections. It will offer new perspectives on New York’s textile history, from Indigenous traditions to industrial innovations.</p> <p>During the June in-person sessions, small groups of participants will engage directly with collections across multiple partner sites through intimate, hands-on experiences and guided access to both on-view and behind-the-scenes objects. These encounters will support close-looking and site-specific exploration of the dressed body, material innovation, and cultural heritage.</p> <p>On Tuesday, June 23, participants will engage with collections and site-specific programs at Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center and Syracuse University’s Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, concluding with a networking reception at the Everson Museum of Art. On Wednesday, June 24, the program continues in Ithaca with close-looking sessions at Cornell University’s Hybrid Body Lab and the The Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection (CF+TC).</p> <p> </p> <p>Image: Coat, Spring 1971, designed by Bonnie Cashin. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University School of Design. Gift of Philip Sills, 85.35A</p>