This week, Steele, along with her FIT colleagues, will honor Manolo Blahnik with the 2015 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. "Manolo Blahnik is one of the world's greatest shoe designers—and a true artist of fashion," she said. "I was absolutely delighted when the Advisory Committee of the Couture Council chose him to receive the [award]. It was Manolo who kicked off contemporary fashion's obsession with shoes, as viewers of Sex and the City will recall. The award luncheon on September 9 is sure to be our most photogenic event yet."
Here, Steele talks about what goes into planning exhibits like her famed Shoe Obsession.
Describe a typical workday.
Since I am both director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, I am responsible both for running the museum and curating one exhibition a year. Therefore, a "typical" workday can vary a lot. The Museum at FIT is a specialized fashion museum and also a university museum, which means I work very closely with colleagues at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I report to the president of FIT, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, and I collaborate closely with administrators throughout the college. I have a staff of 30 at the museum, and we have a lot of meetings. The meetings that are the most fun, of course, involve planning an exhibition and working with the exhibition designer to create a setting in which to present the fashions chosen to be on display.
How did you land your current job?
I had been teaching fashion history in FIT's School of Graduate Studies, and the then-director of The Museum at FIT asked me to apply for a part-time job at the museum. Not long after, that turned into a full-time job as chief curator. It was my expertise in fashion history that made me qualified for the position.
Before working at the museum, I taught fashion history—at FIT and at other colleges and universities, including Parsons, NYU, and Columbia. I also wrote books, such as Paris Fashion: A Cultural History and Women of Fashion: 20th-Century Designers. In addition, I founded (and still edit)Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, the first scholarly journal of fashion. I received my PhD in history from Yale University, where I focused on the history of fashion. I also spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, where I helped conceptualize an exhibition (and book) on men's and women's clothing.
Was there a time when you asked for more responsibilities or applied for a long-shot job? How did you go about it?
When I moved up from chief curator to acting director of the museum, I had many more responsibilities. Fortunately, I received mentoring from the president and other administrators at FIT. I also benefited hugely from attending the Getty Leadership Institute for new museum directors.
Was there a time when you wanted less responsibility or held off on a promotion? What prompted that?
I never wanted less responsibility, but I have certainly been grateful for help and good advice.
Have you ever asked for a raise?
I've never asked for a raise for myself—only for people who have worked for me. I made a written case that they were going far beyond their assigned duties and deserved to be promoted.
What do you do for self-care?
I see my trainer and take AquaCycling classes.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to have your job someday?
Acquire knowledge and credentials. Work hard, be nice.
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