Behind the collections: When fashion meets the body

About this event

Going behind the scenes of museum fashion displays at the National Museums Collection Centre

Join National Museums Scotland’s fashion and textile curators and conservators to learn what happens behind the scenes of a fashion display.  

Clothing actively shapes, reclaims and transforms our identity and yet the standard museum mannequin erases any defining human characteristics. As a result, it can overlook the potential for the dressed body to animate our understanding of both garments and societies.  

This event will take you on a tour of select objects in storage at National Museums Collection Centre, which showcase how dress as material culture offers a window into social histories. From an Ainu robe and a Hawaiian Ahu’ula (feather cloak) to items from European catwalks, discover how clothing reinforces status, embodies power and expresses a sense of self – and how museums must approach displaying these items with respect, integrity and curiosity. 

The object study sessions will be followed by an in conversation with NMS’ Principal Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design, Georgina Ripley, and an audience Q&A. 

Note for attendees: Discussion around mannequins and the body will include mention of plus-size, disabled, transgender and non-binary bodies and identities. Discussion around world cultures objects will touch upon Indigenous cultures, colonial histories and legacies and cultural appropriation. 

Attendee guidance: 

• Please wear comfortable footwear for walking the short distance between buildings and potentially standing in store for the object study sessions (lasting up to 1 hour; seating will be provided to take breaks and for access requirements). 

• Please be aware that some stores can be relatively cool in temperature. We recommend bringing layers of clothing as we request that you leave all outdoor jackets and bags in the lockers provided. 

• Please do not take any food or liquids into the store, including water.  

• We recommend that you bring a bottle of water with you to refill in the designated areas as we are an environmentally friendly site with drinking water provided from the tap (no water stations/plastic cups). 

• You will be welcome to take photographs without flash for your own use (not for publication/ use on social media without prior permission).  

• When viewing objects, we ask that you please do not lean on the tables or racking and do not touch or handle objects without invitation. 

• Please only use pencil or electronic equipment if you are planning to take notes in store. 

In collaboration with

National Museums Scotland 

National Museums Scotland is a unique combination of world-class collections, programmes, places and people. 

Their multi-disciplinary collection is an important resource, which they seek to share as widely as possible through their mission to preserve, interpret and make accessible for all, the past and present of Scotland, other nations and cultures, and the natural world. 

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