Hi, I’m Summer! I’m a native Brooklynite, quintessential Virgo, and Curatorial Intern at Girl Museum.
When I was unsure of my career path, I looked to my fondest girlhood memories for guidance. I realized that my lifelong interests have always been using fashion as a vehicle for story-telling, and engaging with narratives about the past.
In 2019, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Communications & Media from the City University of New York. During my undergraduate studies, I freelanced as a fashion journalist and interned with several fashion houses. Through those experiences, I grew more interested in the history and material culture of fashion. I am currently pursuing my MA in Fashion & Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I recently served as a Curatorial Intern at the Historic House Trust of New York City, contributing research and writing to a digital exhibition titled The Past Is Female. In addition, I contribute fashion history content to the Fashion History Timeline and The Vintage Woman Magazine.
To have a long career as a fashion historian, author, lecturer, and curator would be a dream come true!
I am fortunate to have access to so many wonderful museums in New York City. Throughout my graduate studies, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology and The Met Costume Institute have both provided me with invaluable educational resources and endless inspiration. Other favorites include The Met Cloisters, a magical site of medieval art, and The Brooklyn Museum, a serene fortress of human history.
As we further progress into the twenty-first century, I’m very curious how gender-neutral parenting will affect the experience of girlhood. When I reflect on my own childhood, I realize how significantly I was influenced by traditional gender roles. This limited my perception of acceptable feminine gender expression. However, gender is a social construct and should never restrict a child’s dreams. A vision of true gender equality requires that all children are raised without gender stereotypes.
-Summer Lee
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.