Timeless: designer classics as slow fashion

In this 90-minute workshop held in the NGV Education Theatre, attendees had the opportunity to step behind the scenes to explore the magic that turns designer classics into timeless fashion.

The activity was led by academic researchers and the NGV conservation team, providing participants with exclusive access to observe up close iconic pieces from the gallery's collection. Captivating conversations delved into the secrets behind these enduring garments, from fabric choice to stitching techniques, exploring how every element contributes to their remarkable longevity.

Speakers

Natalya Lusty is Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne and co-founder of the Critical Fashion Studies Research Group. Her work sits across the fields of cultural studies and cultural history, photography and screen media, feminist and queer theory, and fashion studies. She is currently working on a book that examines the relationship between fashion, the avant-garde and commodity culture.

Dr Harriette Richards is a Lecturer in the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University, and a co-founder of the Critical Fashion Studies Research Group. She is a cultural studies scholar whose work focuses on ethical and sustainable fashion systems, consumer culture, and fashion in the settler colonial imagination. She is currently working on a book exploring the impacts of settler colonialism on the fashion cultures of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Skye Firth is the Senior Conservator of Fashion and Textiles at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Since graduating with a Masters of Arts (Conservation) from the University of Melbourne, she worked extensively in private conservation practice for Costume and House Museums, Military collections and embroidery. She specialises in the conservation of nineteenth century silks and 19th & 20th century fashion. She joined the conservation team at the NGV in 2017.

Presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria.