Ring in the New Year in style at Midnight at Newfields. Once you have your tickets, you’ll need an outfit. This year’s soiree is themed “Under the Stars” and black-tie. Here are a few selections from the Indianapolis Museum of Art Textile and Fashion Arts collection that we will use as inspiration for our outfits. We also pulled some festive hats to get you thinking outside of the box, as well as a few suiting options for men.

You can’t go wrong with these two glittering beauties for a black-tie New Year’s Eve gala. Both ensembles are by Indiana-raised designer, Halston, from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, but you can still find the classic wrap silhouette and glitzy embellishments in stores today. Their asymmetrical hemlines and long-sleeves elevate these simple yet sophisticated looks.  

Bill Blass’s floor-length silk velvet dress is fit for a literal take on the Van Gogh-inspired theme “Under the Stars”. The colors, yellows, ochres, and a variety of blues were in vogue during the 1960s when the dress was made, and are prominent colors in Van Gogh’s iconic painting, Starry Night. Halston’s comfy-chic two-piece sequined set is somewhere in-between a take on the December night sky and Van Gogh’s textured brushstrokes in Starry Night.  

For the gentlemen, we found inspiration in the recent special exhibition, Stephen Sprouse: Rock | Art | Fashion. Sprouse is another designer with Indiana roots. Early in his career he worked closely with Bill Blass and Halston in New York. As an independent designer in the late 20th-century he was known for bold, glittery, and Day-Glo outfits suited for the club scene, and perfect for a striking look at Midnight.  

Top it off with accessories! Brother-sister duo Benjamin and Bessie Green-Field combined their names to form Bes-Ben hats and quickly became known as “Chicago’s Mad Hatter.” They opened their first millinery store in Chicago in 1920, and by the 1940s Bes-Ben designs had gone from sensible and traditional to whimsical and humorous. Hats are the perfect statement accessory to complete an outfit or crown an over-the-top ensemble. 

Proceeds from Midnight directly support Newfields’ mission to enrich lives through exceptional experiences with art and nature. Your generous support benefits the care and conservation of the Indianapolis Museum of Art Collection, future special exhibitions, new community-focused programming and education, seasonal festivals like Harvest Nights, Winterlights and Spring Blooms, as well as the ongoing maintenance and new infrastructure projects in The Garden and The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.

Midnight guests get a $50 discount on select tuxedo or suit rental packages from Men’s Warehouse. You’ll get the discount code in your Midnight ticket confirmation email.

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Image Credits:

Halston (American, 1932–1990), evening ensemble: top, skirt, sash, about 1975, silk metallic threads (lamé), L: 30 in. (top) | 71 in. (dress). Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Elizabeth Weymouth, 1986.318A-C. © Halston.  
 
Halston (American, 1932–1990), evening dress, 1981, silk organza, mirrors, sequins, glass beads, bugle beads, pearl beads, metallic threads, length: 68-3/4 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Halston Enterprises, Incorporated, 82.84A-B. © Halston.  

Bill Blass (American, 1922–2002), evening dress with boa, 1960s, silk, A) dress: 59 in.; B) boa: 166 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Gerald L. Herzfeld, 1985.150A-B. © Bill Blass.  

Halston (American, 1932–1990), tunic and pants, about 1974, silk chiffon, sequins, A) tunic: 31-1/2 in. (length); B) pants: 43 in. (length). Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Gerald L. Herzfeld, 1985.149A-B. © Halston.  

Stephen Sprouse (American, 1953–2004) and Keith Haring (American, 1958–1990), tuxedo, Fall/Winter 1988, silk, velvet, A) jacket: 20 × 31-1/2 in.; B) pants: 42 × 19-1/2 in. C) tie: 58-1/2 × 5 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Joanne Sprouse and Bradford Sprouse in memory of Stephen Sprouse, 2020.30A-C. © Stephen Sprouse, © Keith Haring Foundation.  

Stephen Sprouse (American, 1953–2004), vest and pants, Fall/Winter 1992–1993, polyester, metallic thread, Velcro, various dimensions. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Joanne Sprouse and Bradford Sprouse in memory of Stephen Sprouse, 2020.137A-B. © Stephen Sprouse. 

Bes-Ben (American, 1898–1988), hat (clocks), 1950s, velvet, netting, grosgrain, buckram, metal wire, 6 × 9-3/4 × 4 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Purchased with funds provided by Benjamin B. Green-Field Foundation, 2003.127. © Bes-Ben / Bessie & Benjamin Green-Field.  

Bes-Ben (American, 1898–1988), hat, 1950s, black felt, sequins, netting, 4 × 10 × 10 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Doris Raymond, 2003.182. © Bes-Ben / Bessie & Benjamin Green-Field.