PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
Foster Monroe is a Chicago-born, New York- and Paris-based art historian and fashion studies scholar. She will be beginning a Master’s program in History of Design and Curatorial Studies at Parsons School of Design in partnership with the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. She holds a BA in Art History from Sarah Lawrence College.
She previously worked at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, where she assisted with research and exhibition planning for a show on theater and fashion in 19th-century America, and she recently completed a course of study in Paris focused on fashion, textile, and design history. This experience, alongside her background in editorial work, social media strategy, and fundraising within the fashion industry, has further refined her curatorial approach at the intersection of fashion and cultural history.
A dedicated museum-goer and sharp-eyed fashion spotter, Foster is a persuasive communicator and passionate advocate for recycled and sustainable fashion.
Foster Monroe
Art History & Fashion Studies
Monroe’s studies and research projects span a variety of topics from the history of textiles and design, trend forecasting, 18th-century fashion, 1920s fashion, 20th-century art, art of the ancient Mediterranean, French art and civilization, Dutch art, to the Renaissance.
See portfolio excerpts and related projects below.
Featured Essays
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Madame Georges Charpentier and Her Children: A Window into French Bourgeois Life
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Fashioning the Exotic: The Taxonomy of Beauty
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Using Myths to Understand Greek-Turkish History
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Fashioning Likeness in Dutch Portraiture
Work at the Smithsonian
I served as a Katzenberger Curatorial Intern at the National Portrait Gallery, where I assisted with research and exhibition planning for a show on theater and fashion in 19th-century America.
The National Portait Gallery
Exhibition Research with Primary Sources at the Library of Congress
Art Handling for Felix Gonzales-Torres: Always to Return + General Collection Management for Museum’s Permanent Collection
Extensive Exhibition Research and Writing on 19th Century American Actresses
Community Engagement
Research at the Archives of American Art
Magazine: What’s the Vibe
Founded by Foster Monroe and Emma Sarkissian this magazine is a space for fashion lovers to explore not just trends, but the deeper stories, emotions, and identities woven into what we wear. From personal narratives to cultural deep dives, our goal is to celebrate fashion as an art form and a conversation.
🔊AUDIO
Fashion Through the Ages: Marie Antoinette
“How did the trend cycle lead us to this moment of undeniably fun girliness and femininity, through references pulled from Marie Antoinette? And what does this as a larger concept have to do with society and the ways in which women are choosing to define and express themselves through femininity? How has it become a source of power, confidence, and inspiration for so many women?”
