MLFH

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History is an international museum and its mission is to offer educational programs, and history and retrospective anthropology exhibits showcasing lifestyle, cultures, people, places, fashion trends, clothes, architecture, furnishings, decorative arts, interior designs, locomotives and toys, and information about popular uses of artifacts by people/events of various periods of time. The goal of the Museum’s mission is to collect and preserve objects and artifacts that relate to the Museum’s mission; provide educational & cultural arts programs for children, families, the general public and the economically disadvantage; and the goal is to enhance tourist attractions and the economy of the area.

From 2003-2005, the Museum was located in a rent-free 8,000 square feet facility in the former Pineapple Grove Shops Plaza located in the 300 Block of Pineapple Grove Way in the Main Street District of Downtown Delray Beach, FL. However, that plaza was sold and then demolished along with the entire City block where it was located. As a result, the Museum had to move. While at the facility, the Museum developed and presented exhibits about fashion history and popular culture and also hosted traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution.  On the 4^th Saturday of each month, year-round, at 11am the Museum still conducts, without interruption, the Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach. Some of the Museum's accolades include being selected as Best New Museum in 2004 by the New Times Broward-Palm Beach Newspaper; Best Bets in Palm Beach County in 2006 & 2005 by the Gold Coast Edition of Guest Informant Magazine; and in 2006, the Museum's Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach were selected as Unique Travel Gem by AAA Travel Home & Away Magazine of Mid-America. In June 2006 and May 2008, the Museum's Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach were selected as Best Tour of the Town by The Palm Beacher & Gold Coast Magazines.

History of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History is a non-profit 501(c) 3 history museum that was established in 1999. The inspiration for the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History of Delray Beach was the phenomenally successful popular culture & retrospective exhibit "40 Years of the Barbie® Doll" in celebration of Women's History Month which was on display from March 1999 thru September 2000 at the cultural center in Delray Beach, Florida. More than 20,000 visitors from around the world attended this exhibit which made it the #1 attended exhibit in the history of Delray Beach and one of the most memorable Museum exhibits in all of Palm Beach County. The Barbie® Doll exhibit was conceived and curated by Lori J. Durante who is the Executive Director/Chief Curator of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History.

Since 1999, the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History has presented 19 exhibits including traveling exhibits.

MLFH’s Location at the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, Florida:

In 2009, MLFH opened in a donated 8,000 square feet facility at the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, FL.  Because of various in-kind donations, the facility was renovated to include three gallery spaces. MLFH will be at this location for at least three years while fundraising efforts still continue for the permanent building.

Statement of Future Plans for a Permanent Boynton Beach Museum Facility

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History has plans for a proposed 93,674square feet museum facility for the purpose of presenting permanent and traveling exhibits. And, the Museum is leading efforts to secure a location in Delray Beach, FL for an additional permanent museum building for its hugely popular Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach, FL. Included in the building plans for the permanent 93,674 square feet museum facility in Boynton Beach will be a gallery dedicated to Swedish fashion, interior design, architecture and history; and a gallery devoted to the history of Jewish people in retailing. Also, a permanent gallery highlighting Italian design, and Latin Design and Latin History along with diverse history exhibits about other American Designers and other European/French designers, and a focus highlighting various ethnic cultures, societies, fashion, interior design, architecture and popular culture.