To kick off Fashion Week season, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is partnering with Ferris State University’s Fashion Studies Program in the Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD).

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – On September 10, New York Fashion Week will begin, kicking off a series of successive fashion weeks in London, Milan, Paris, and Miami. To celebrate here in Grand Rapids, the GRPM is taking a look back at its extensive collection of clothing and accessories, alongside pieces created by KCAD students.

GRPM Curator Andrea Melvin will be dressing mannequins and mannequin busts in the styles of several decades, from the 1880s to the 1990s, using pieces from each era. With 98% of the GRPM’s Collections donated by the community, these selected artifacts offer a uniquely West Michigan look at the history of fashion.

Lori Faulkner, Professor & Chair of Fashion Studies at the Pamella Roland DeVos School of Fashion of Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design, will bring pieces designed and created by students, offering a more contemporary look at style and a glimpse of what young designers will bring to the future of the industry.

The GRPM invites media to take a closer look at the ensembles at the Grand Rapids Public Museum Archives on September 10. Both Andrea Melvin and Lori Faulkner will be available for interviews.

Media in attendance will be able to see where the GRPM holds its fashion collections, a room Melvin affectionately calls “Grand Rapids’ Largest Closet.”

Email GRPM Marketing Manager Delany Lemke at dlemke@grpm.org to schedule your visit.

When: September 10, 2026 | 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: Grand Rapids Public Museum Archives, 223 Washington St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503