Costume Society Newsletter
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Costume Society Newsletter Autumn 2018 Vice Chairman’s Newsletter Report Fashion, Femininity and Power Venue AUTUMN 2018 AUTUMN STUDY DAY, KILLERTON, BROADCLYST, EXETER Killerton House, Killerton, SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2018 Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, EX5 3LE Date Programme Welcome and Housekeeping Saturday 15 September Despite the terrible news that our Chairman Deirdre had 10.00 Professor Angela Smith, University 2018 10.00 – 16.00 passed away in May, and the madness that was London’s 10.15 of Plymouth: World War 1 and the Gay Pride almost bringing London to a halt, the Society held a Suffrage Movement Tickets fantastic summer study day at London College of Fashion on 7 July Dr Becky Munford, Reader in English Members: £30.00, Non- celebrating our Patterns of Fashion Award. We had two fascinating 11.00 Literature, Cardiff University: members: £40.00, Student and engaging talks this year. Michele Clapton, costume designer Women in Trousers, a Visual Archive members: £5.00, Student best known for her work on Game of Thrones and The Crown gave Coffee non-members: £10.00 an inspiring insight into her process and practice, and Regency 11.40 Amy Towle, Assistant Exhibitions Tailor Zack Pinsent enthralled us with his performative presentation 11.55 Entrance to house and Officer, Cosprop:WSPU and the discussing the Regency gentleman’s wardrobe. The Patterns of Fashion parking free for National Politicisation of Dress Award, judged for the last time by John Bright of Cosprop, preceded Trust members, there is a Break for Lunch these talks. I would personally like to thank John for his contribution 12.20 charge of £11.60 (house) Meryl Powell sailing in and welcome Michele Clapton as our new judge. This year we had 14.00-16.00 Behind-the-scenes tours and £2.00 (parking) for alternating with exhibition tours. the Fal Estuary, 1935 twelve entries, from which four finalists were chosen. For the first time non-members. we had two international entries and the award was won by Chu Siu- Parking: Please use the visitor car park. The Ming (Jason) from Hong Kong, for his beautiful circa 1770 Polonaise mansion is a short walk along the drive. There The Costume Booking and underskirt. Joanna Jarvis and Louise Chapman also outlined their is a small parking charge for non-members of Society’s annual Costume Society plans for the development of the Patterns of Fashion Award going the National Trust. autumn study Bookings, 12 Red Square, forward (see article on page 9 of this issue). Previous Society events Admission: Admission to the house is not day this year Piano Lane, Carysfort this year were a very successful Behind the Scenes visit to the V&A’s included in the booking fee. This is free for Road, London N16 9AW, Clothworkers’ Centre with curator Edwina Ehrman, and the Si Wi Yah: members of the National Trust and their will take place or via the website.. Sartorial Representations of the African Diaspora conference that the guests. There will be an admission charge for at Killerton, the Society supported. non-NT members. National Trust There is a booking Refreshments will be provided mid-morning. house near form on page 30 of this Lunch is not provided, please make your own Exeter. The newsletter I am delighted to announce that we have appointed to one of our two arrangements. There is a restaurant on site theme will link Conference Organiser posts. I would like to welcome Amy Wilson who and two cafes for snacks and sandwiches. will look after the venue arrangements (her biography is included on in with the National If bringing your own there are picnic tables Trust’s headline page 15 of this newsletter) and we are in the process of assessing around the property and indoor cover if wet. applications for the ‘Content’ post. With this news I am also happy to programme for 2018, say that plans have begun for the 2019 Conference that will be held Women and Power, to in Birmingham, and I encourage you all to keep your eyes peeled for mark the centenary of the granting of the first voting rights to details and a call for papers that will appear in the near future once we women, and take a broad view of dress and politics. There have a our team in place. In the meantime we have a wonderful autumn will be an opportunity to attend talks linked to the theme in study day to look forward to: Fashion, Femininity and Power at Killerton the morning, and in the afternoon a chance to view the three House in Devon, as well as a visit to Whitchurch Silk Mill. exhibitions in the public spaces in the mansion, and take a Please let us know if there are events that you would like to see the closer look at some objects from the stored collections. The Society undertake, and keep in touch through our facebook, blog, behind-the-scenes tour will include a view of some of Queen twitter and new Instagram accounts as well as the website Victoria’s clothing in the Costume Department’s workroom. www.costumesociety.org.uk The morning talks will be held in the Heartspace, which is located at the back of the mansion. On arrival please wait in the entrance hall where you will be met by a volunteer who Shaun Cole will show you to the meeting room. 2 3 FASHIONED FROM NATURE Venue CONSTRUCTION: Venue VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM Victoria and Albert EXHIBITION TOUR AND COSTUME STORE VISIT Beecroft Art Gallery, Victoria Avenue, EXHIBITION VISIT Museum, South BEECROFT ART GALLERY,SOUTHEND-ON-SEA Kensington, London Southend-on-Sea, Essex TUESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2018 SW7 2RL. THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER 2018 SS2 6EX. Date Date Tuesday 25 September This exhibition Thursday 11 October 2018, 14.00. explores notions 2018. 11.30 – 13.30 of construction Tickets in fashion, Tickets Costume Society Members £14.00, members £12.00, image creation Non-members £16.00. Non-members £15.00. and persona. Numbers are strictly Members who are also Through limited, so don’t delay, V&A members £5.00 physical, social apply today. (no need to book for the and historical exhibition). lenses, the Booking construction of Costume Society Booking garments and Bookings, 12 Red Square, Costume Society accessories, Piano Lane, Carysfort Bookings, 12 Red Square, Road, London N16 9AW, Piano Lane, Carysfort along with their or via the website.. Road, London N16 9AW, ability to project There is a booking or via the website.. an image or form on page 29 of this There is a booking persona will be newsletter form on page 30 of this considered. Pulling together garments and newsletter paintings from Southend Museums Dress The Gallery is a short walk from Southend and Textiles collection, the Fine Art collection Victoria Station This exhibition presents Muslin day dress decorated and through private loans, this exhibition will with beetle wing cases 1868-9; (trains from London fashionable dress Britain unpick the creation and projection of personal Liverpool Street). alongside natural history © Victoria and Albert Museum, identity. If you are arriving at London specimens, innovative Southend Central, on ‘Rootbound # 2’ dress, Diana An introductory talk by the exhibition curator the London Fenchurch new fabrics and dyeing processes, inviting Scherer, 2017, Netherlands. Street line, the Gallery © Diana Scherer Ciara Phipps will be followed by a curator- visitors to think about the materials of fashion led tour of the exhibition. Afterwards we will is roughly a 5-10 minute walk away. and the sources of their clothes. visit the costume store to have a look at some Travelling by car: the interesting pieces within the collection with Gallery is on Victoria Meet curator Edwina Ehrman for an conservator Claire outlining the care of the Avenue, Southend- introductory talk before a visit to the collection and some of the potential hazards on-Sea, next to the exhibition. faced when dealing with costume and textiles. Central Museum. The car park is Pay & Meeting point: Cromwell Road foyer. Look Display. The Beecroft for your Costume Society representative. Meet 11.30 am at Gallery entrance. Duration Art Gallery is to your of visit approx two hours. left as you walk from the car park. 4 5 Collections at the Clothworkers’ Centre exhibition, it isn’t often that an opportunity arises to get this level of insight from a senior exhibition curator at the V&A. BEHIND THE SCENES VISIT TO THE V&A AND BRITISH MUSEUM STORES Edwina explained how she and her team had worked very 8 MARCH 2018 closely over a period of two years, with, among others, The Natural History Museum, The London College of Fashion, the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, and The European Report by Valerie Wilson, Costume Society Confederation of Flax and Hemp. The exhibition aims to Ambassador address honestly and openly the negative side of fashion Go on – admit it, who doesn’t enjoy a good peek ‘behind and fabric production as much as the inspiring and creative the scenes’ at the contents of someone else’s wardrobe? side. This Costume Society half-day event was an opportunity Edwina had a range of costume and accessories displayed to have a look ‘behind the scenes’ at the Clothworkers’ on tables, for closer study, and described and explained Centre, Blythe House, West Kensington, in the company each one in detail. These included a fabulous parasol of of curators from the V&A and British Museum. marabou tail feathers from India c.1870 and a dress of After registration and introductions the group was led pineapple (!) fibre dating from around 1914.