OCA Creative Arts: Unpicking Couture

In an ongoing quest searching for more examples of interdisciplinary practice for our BA (Hons) Creative Arts students, I recently came across an interesting exhibition in Manchester. The Costume Gallery has now merged with the Manchester Art Gallery and subsequently has various fashion-related exhibitions that can now be seen in the city centre until November 2025.

The Manchester Art Gallery room is filled with around 20 garments in the exhibition ‘Unpicking Couture’, of which consists of high-end apparel designs by well-known fashion houses and designers, including Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. The focus of the exhibition is on two main topics, including dopamine dressing and sustainability. The importance of repairing our clothes and having an emotional connection with them, whether this be of a memory of a certain occasion or for it to be linked to nostalgic thoughts, can ensure we move ourselves away from the culture of fast fashion.

As I moved from garment to garment, I was suddenly enlightened by the inclusion of different disciplines, including photography, sculpture, and printmaking, all of which could be seen in each dress. From the sequined dress by Alexander McQueen, which incorporated a photograph of three young girls in a collection called ‘Joan’ inspired by women in history, to the collaboration between Stella McCartney and artist Gary Hume with a striking orange and black screen-printed dress of abstract faces, to the ‘rocket’ dress by Pierre Cardin, who was inspired by space travel, and the designs of Issey Miyake, who was influenced by the sculptor Alberto Giacometti in his two-piece pleated outfit.

I am so pleased I visited the exhibition in person and took time to take in a close reading of this exhibition, which may at first have seemed like a simple fashion exhibition of glorious dresses. What I discovered was the ways in which the disciplines are subtly fused together, and if I had not visited and seen them in person, I may never have made these subtle interdisciplinary connections.

Stepping outside your frame of reference and comfort zone by visiting diverse exhibitions, museums, and galleries not only challenges your perspectives but also ignites curiosity, fuels creativity, and inspires fresh ideas that can transform your artistic practice.

Images and further information on the dresses can be viewed on the Manchester Art Gallery website. 

https://manchesterartgallery.org/event/unpicking-couture/ 

If you are new to visiting Manchester, I recommend you also check out Home Manchester  https://homemcr.org/, followed by a street food lunch at Mackie Mayor, Mackie Mayor, 1 Eagle St, M4 5BU in the Northern Quarters.