Talking Textiles, Making Value: Catalyzing Fashion, Dress, and Textiles Heritage in the Midlands

A collaborative initiative has demonstrated the potential of small-scale heritage collections in England's Midlands to catalyze innovation in fashion, dress, and textiles. These collections, often under-resourced but rich in industrial heritage, offer unique opportunities for research and design innovation. A Knowledge Exchange event brought together professionals from academia, museums, and the arts to explore ways to integrate these collections into higher education curricula, develop research hubs, and leverage artist-led projects. The findings highlight the significance of place-based textiles heritage as a catalyst for sustainable design practice and new business models, while also addressing the challenges faced by small museums in maintaining their collections amidst funding cuts.

Hackney, F., Baines, E., Bloodworth, J., McKenzie, A., Anderson, C., Wells, A., & Howard, C. (2019). Talking Textiles, Making Value: Catalyzing Fashion, Dress, and Textiles Heritage in the Midlands. Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, 8(1), 84–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/20511787.2019.1682909