When I was contacted back in December 2024 by one of the curators at Museum London asking if I would like to contribute to a fashion-themed exhibit they were working on, how could a fashionista say no? The exhibit, eventually titled Fashion: Grit, Glamour and Guts, incorporated clothing, accessories and art from the museum's own collection, creations by three local designers and outfits from twenty-five community members. Folks from the community, myself included, were asked to provide an outfit that was special to us, and a brief story that explained how the outfit reflected our personal style.
Then came the challenge of choosing an outfit. After a month of consideration I decided on this one.
My contribution to the exhibit Fashion: Grit, Glamour and Guts at Museum London
I wanted to put together an outfit that included something vintage with a dramatic shape, and the striped kimono coat I purchased over ten years ago at the Manhattan Vintage Show was perfect. Worn over a thrifted turtleneck and red pants (unseen in the photo), and accessorized with a statement belt (also thrifted) and a headpiece (retail) it made for a eye-catching outfit, and one that had a story attached.
In 2013 during what would become an annual October trip to New York I discovered the joy of the Manhattan Vintage Show, and purchased the coat, and two haori from a dealer who specialized in Japanese textiles. Two friends I had made in New York, Jean and Valerie (aka The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas) were invited to a "Hues of Red" party at the Issey Miyake store in Tribeca celebrating the designer's new fall/winter line. They graciously invited me along and the people and clothes were amazing. You can see some photos from the event on a post on The Idiosyncratic Fashionista's blog here: http://idiosyncraticfashionistas.blogspot.com/2013/11/issey-miyake-hues-of-red-party.html
The thrill of the evening for me was the appearance of the late New York street photographer Bill Cunningham. Meeting him was a bucket list moment for me, and he took a photo of Jean and I with another guest, which, miracle of miracles, appeared in the Sunday edition of the New York Times "Evening Hours" section.
That's us, on the left. I wish I had access to a larger photo but that is the size that it appeared in the paper. Still a cherished documentation of a magical evening.
Another photo from the party - I look quite content to be sandwiched between two handsome men
Enough about me. Let's move on to some of the other pieces in the exhibit.
In the promotional material for the exhibit, the "Grit" section is described as "garments that show a gritty determination. They tell stories of fortitude, determination and strength of character"
Felicia Huff is Anishinaabe from Chippewa of the Thames First Nation and creates ribbon shirts and skirts. She has "utilized my love of sewing to be a helper to my family and community"
The "Proud Union Queer" t-shirt on the right belongs to union activist Mason Fulk. "My t-shirt says that 'union' and 'queer' go together because the workplace belongs to everyone".
The white tuxedo in belongs to Joey Hollingsworth, a black
tap dancer that grew up in London, Ontario. His father sewed his first
set of white satin tails when Joey was five years old.
Union Gas fastball uniform - 1972-1980's
As we move into the "Glamour" section of the exhibit we see the outfits worn by local author Emma Donoghue and her partner, Chris Roulston, when they attended the Academy Awards in 2016. The film adaptation of Donoghue's book Room had been nominated for four awards. Initially, Donoghue didn't put much thought about what she was going to wear, but when designer Don O'Neill contacted her and offered to design a custom gown she couldn't say no, and said "I felt like a goddess".
Mexican designer LES JESUS worked with Colombian Canadian musician, singer and songwriter Lido Pimienta to create this dress with an embroidered yoke for her 2020 Grammy performance
Multi-disciplinary performance artist Erin Clark contributed one of her outfits she wore while performing as part of an aerial comedy duo in the persona of an international sex icon
The dress on the far left is from the early 1800's, the red one in the centre is a wedding gown from 1887, and the one on the far right was worn as a wedding dress in 1924
Designer Cynthia Laurent Cadogan often incorporates elements of her St. Lucian and African cultures in her designs. Notice how she has cut the fabric of the skirt on the dress above so that it resembles feathers.
The lovely bird-print dress above belongs to local children's librarian Linda Ludke who incorporates her love of vintage fashion, particularly that of the 1940's, into the storytelling that is often part of her job.
The "Guts" section of the exhibit features many outfits that could also have fit into the "Glamour" section. In the words of the curators, "Gutsy fashion breaks convention, pushes boundaries and questions social norms".
The white ruffled blouse was purchased at a vintage store by Promise Chen, an Asian queer man, who then wore it to their high school prom, "a statement of boldness and gender fluidity"
The third local designer featured in the exhibit, Andrew Esdaile, contributed one of their intricate jackets made from thrifted denim jeans, covered in cotton linen fabric secured by Sashiko-inspired hand stitching. This one is called "Pour Your Heart Out", and you can see other examples of Esdaile's incredibly designs in the Museum gift shop during the run of the exhibit.
The exhibit includes one of the carnival costumes designed and worn by Naomi Nadea, a Black Trans woman. Nadea wore this in the London Pride Parade in 2013. "The wings are a way to honour the people in our community who have passed away from HIV/AIDS".
The two garments above, belonging to Praneeta Vaidya, showcase her sense of humour (the t-shirt) that helped her cope with her stage four breast cancer diagnosis, and her Indian ancestry, even though she notes that "I don't identify that way".
The jacket on the dress form belongs to Rolan Fahd, and is a mix of the things they enjoy most about fashion: DIY and embellishment. The jacket and some of the pins were thrifted, while the tie and some of the other pins were handmade by Fahd. The painting in the centre is by famed London artist Greg Curnoe, of his son Owen, who was often seen in punk-inspired outfits in his teens.
Carnival outfit designed by Paul O'Donoghue and worn by DJ Chad Wickham, who performed at the opening party for the exhibit
The exhibit Fashion: Grit, Glamour, Guts is at Museum London until October 26th. It's definitely worth a visit. In addition to the delightful eye candy and thoughtful stories that accompany each piece, it makes you think about how you present yourself to the world. What story are you telling?
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