‘1918 x 2020: Global Fashion in the Age of Pandemics’ Webinar

If 2019 fashion was all about the bike shorts and slip dresses, then 2020 is nothing but the mask. While COVID-19 has transformed fashion’s role from adornment and fantasy to one of public safety, this is not the first time fashion has had to respond to a pandemic. This is the story of how the 1918 “Spanish Flu” Influenza Pandemic changed the meaning of fashion throughout the world, and how creativity — from fashion designers to ordinary people — can survive, and even thrive, in the darkest of circumstances.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore global fashion trends during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, and what they can teach us about coping with today’s health crisis one hundred years later.

Led by fashion historian Caroline Elenowitz-Hess, our virtual look at fashion during pandemics will include:

  • How masks and veils were part of the fashion industry’s response to the “Spanish Flu” crisis in 1918
  • Bizarre fashion trends that took hold during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, including the “Influenza Instep” and dresses with “Flu Backs”
  • Why the 1918 Influenza Pandemic has been seen as a “forgotten” part of American history
  • Other ways fashion has responded to disease, from the bubonic plague to AIDS
  • A look at the fashion trends emerging during COVID-19

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Caroline — any and all questions about the fashion during the 1918 pandemic are welcomed and encouraged!

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually! $10.

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you’re using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Caroline

Caroline Elenowitz-Hess is an independent fashion historian based in New York City. Caroline worked for several years as a fashion designer before pursuing her MA in Fashion Studies from Parsons. She previously received a BA in English Literature from Yale University and an AAS in Fashion Design from FIT. Most recently, Caroline has been a curatorial intern at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the Museum at FIT. Her research is focused on definitions of femininity in the twentieth century in France and the United States.











When: Tue., Dec. 1, 2020 at 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

If 2019 fashion was all about the bike shorts and slip dresses, then 2020 is nothing but the mask. While COVID-19 has transformed fashion’s role from adornment and fantasy to one of public safety, this is not the first time fashion has had to respond to a pandemic. This is the story of how the 1918 “Spanish Flu” Influenza Pandemic changed the meaning of fashion throughout the world, and how creativity — from fashion designers to ordinary people — can survive, and even thrive, in the darkest of circumstances.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore global fashion trends during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, and what they can teach us about coping with today’s health crisis one hundred years later.

Led by fashion historian Caroline Elenowitz-Hess, our virtual look at fashion during pandemics will include:

  • How masks and veils were part of the fashion industry’s response to the “Spanish Flu” crisis in 1918
  • Bizarre fashion trends that took hold during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, including the “Influenza Instep” and dresses with “Flu Backs”
  • Why the 1918 Influenza Pandemic has been seen as a “forgotten” part of American history
  • Other ways fashion has responded to disease, from the bubonic plague to AIDS
  • A look at the fashion trends emerging during COVID-19

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Caroline — any and all questions about the fashion during the 1918 pandemic are welcomed and encouraged!

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually! $10.

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you’re using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Caroline

Caroline Elenowitz-Hess is an independent fashion historian based in New York City. Caroline worked for several years as a fashion designer before pursuing her MA in Fashion Studies from Parsons. She previously received a BA in English Literature from Yale University and an AAS in Fashion Design from FIT. Most recently, Caroline has been a curatorial intern at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the Museum at FIT. Her research is focused on definitions of femininity in the twentieth century in France and the United States.

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