The most compelling function of the Fashion and Style Gallery is its ability to function as a biographical archive. A gallery of style is often a gallery of the body politic.

: It effectively connects fashion with history, technology, and art, making it a "brilliant opportunity" for students and enthusiasts to see these links.

Fashion has always moved in cycles, but the way we archive it has changed. In the past, style galleries were found in the glossy pages of high-fashion magazines or the hallowed halls of the Met’s Costume Institute. Today, the gallery is digital. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest have democratized the "lookbook," allowing anyone to curate a world-class fashion archive from their pocket.