Spring 2012 - Dress and Textile Specialists

This day conference brings together academic and curatorial work on the desire to dress fashionably
in the eighteenth century. From faces to feet, the fashionable men and women of the eighteenth
century strove to achieve aesthetic perfection. This series of papers explores the process of fashion
dissemination, production and consumption which enabled the fulfilment of these desires, and how
this related to the concepts of desire, gender and beauty. The papers to be presented cover subjects
such as cosmetics and beauty, fashion plates, silk manufacture and the relationship between
dressmaker and client. A small exhibition of fashion plates and accessories from the period will
accompany the conference.
For details of speakers see
http://www.york.ac.uk/eighteenth-century-studies/events/desiringfashionconferencejune2012/
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Reinventing the Corset – Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
‘Reinvention corsets’ are a range of corsets created by the Costume Project at the Ironbridge Gorge
Museum Trust, Shropshire. Historic corsets are used as the inspiration to create this modern
interpretation which explores key functions of the original design.
The Costume Project has been producing bespoke clothing for museums since 2004, specialising in
reproducing eighteenth and nineteenth century costume. The aim is to make historic costume more
engaging and accessible to the public. All work is based on original patterns and historic sources, and
the bespoke services offer three levels of interpretation.
Reproduction costume is a faithful copy of an original historic costume, which can be used for display
but also allows visitors to get close to and interact with the textiles.
Reconstruction costume can be worn and tried on by staff or visitors, and whilst it retains the look
and function of the original clothing, it is graded to modern sizes and uses robust materials.
The unique Reinvention range of corsets was born out of a partnership
between the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and the Fashion
Museum, Bath. They are a fun and accessible ‘try-on activity’ that give
an immediate impression of what it was like to wear a corset. The
corsets use rucksack clips, cord and toggles as their fastenings – items
that everyone is familiar with and know how to use, removing barriers
between the public and the corset. The corsets are made of an
upholstery fabric which is incredibly robust and stands up to intense
visitor use and include bold front and back labels, with text and
Image: Ironbridge Gorge pictures.
Museum Trust
A Reinvention range of corsets are currently being produced for the First Garden City Heritage
Museum, Letchworth, to complement their exciting upcoming exhibition: The Spirella Company -
Corset Makers & Corsetieres which will run from 26 March 2012 – March 2013.
Reproduction, Reconstruction and Reinvention are essential in costume interpretation as they
encourage a deeper understanding of the history of clothing by allowing visitors to try-on, explore
and interact with the garments instead of only gazing upon historic costume that is behind glass.
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