You’ve just got until next Tuesday to stop by the Highland Falls Library Gallery to take in a special exhibit of bespoke clothing designed by artist Cynthia Ivey Abitz. It closes February 25.

You’ll see silk dresses with floral embellishments on a red carpet, layered ensembles with perfectly aligned hemlines, and original paintings reminiscent of Toulouse-Lautrec with carpe diem slogans.

The exhibit is a 20-year retrospective of clothing brand Ivey Abitz, a company founded by Fort Montgomery residents Cynthia and Joshua Ivey Abitz. For two decades, Ivey Abitz has been offering designs that can best be described as regalia for everyday wear.

Along with displays of over 50 Ivey Abitz outfits on dress forms, the exhibit tells the story of how two artists stuck to their ideals in a business world that worships money.

Cynthia and Joshua began Ivey Abitz in 2005 with the intent to only make clothing in America. Having grown up in the suburbs of Flint, Michigan, they witnessed firsthand the auto industry’s abandonment of its roots. Cynthia’s father worked in the Flint V8 Engine Plant for 32 years, all the while watching Flint’s glory crumble away as factories closed and production was moved to Mexico.

“My middle-class childhood came from unions and my dad’s work in the plant,” Cynthia remembers. “Overtime, weekends, blood, sweat, good benefits. I don’t ever want to sell out to overseas production. I’ve seen what GM did to my hometown, and I want to be the solution, not the problem.”

In the midst of the 2008 economic crisis, Ivey Abitz moved to New York to be closer to the Garment District and a deeper pool of talented tailors. The small bespoke nature of their business kept them afloat at a time when many design companies were folding. A portion of the exhibit highlights the tailors that work for Ivey Abitz.

Then, during the pandemic of 2020, when brick and mortar stores were closing, Ivey Abitz survived because it was already set up to sell clothing exclusively through its website. They proved that bigger isn’t always better in fashion.

“I don’t consider Ivey Abitz a part of the fashion industry,” says Cynthia Ivey Abitz. “I design to fill the void that I find in this world of mass-produced banality. My designs aren’t for everyone, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The last thing I want is for everyone to look the same. I want everyone to dress like themselves.”

The exhibit takes you to the red carpet, where you can see up close the couture gowns that have graced Hollywood events and television shows.

The most intriguing part of this exhibit is the immersive feeling of being surrounded by more than 50 Ivey Abitz ensembles, each with a distinct look, yet each with the recognizable Ivey Abitz style. It’s 20 years of design wrapped into one room you’ll never forget.

The Ivey Abitz 20 Year Retrospective is free to the public and is open during regular library hours through February 25, 2025.