November 8-11, 2012
Stylists and designers look to the past to seek inspiration for their latest creations. We reference the past to spark our imagination for new ideas, but more often we look back to identify those timeless themes that will be remain valuable for the present into the future. Therefore vintage styles, designer creations and historic fashion collections were just some of the many topics presented at Costume Colloquium III: Past Dress – Future Fashion held November 8-11, 2012 in Florence, Italy. Stylists and designers look to the past to seek inspiration for their latest creations. We reference the past to spark our imagination for new ideas, but more often we look back to identify those timeless themes that remain valuable for the present and into the future.
The international, interdisciplinary and intercultural structure of Costume Colloquium promotes a lively exchange of knowledge on a full range of ideas and interests. The conference topics and themes of Past Dress – Future Fashion were appealing to professionals and academics as well as amateurs and students and included the following:
- Interpreting Fashion of the Past in the Past
- Returning to the Future: Inspirations and Influences of Past Traditions in Fashion Today
- Rediscovering Historical Techniques, Tastes and Trends
- Collecting Fashion: Aims and Accessibility
- Learning from Dress Collections and Fashion Documents
- Conserving, Preserving and Displaying Dress and Costumes
- Recycling, Repurposing and Wearing Vintage and Dress of the Past
- Reconstructing and Reproducing Historical Clothes
- Dressing Performers for the Performing Arts: Designers, Creations and Fashion
Participants enjoyed lectures from an impressive array of distinguished, international scholars, educators and museum specialists, creators and marketers of wearable art, conservators, re-enactors and fashion designers from many genres. The intimate atmosphere not only offered attendees the opportunity to learn about new research in the field and gain access to insider information from presentations and discussions, but also provided multiple opportunities for participants to meet and exchange ideas with experts and colleagues in an open and congenial forum.
In addition to lectures from international dress, fashion and fabric experts, Costume Colloquium III offered exclusive, one of a kind visits, tours and receptions at historic sites in Florence and in Prato.
Each of the of three days of academic sessions held in Florence culminated with a special visit and/or reception at
• the Galleria del Costume in Palazzo Pitti (installations of historic dress and contemporary fashion),
• the Museo di Palazzo Davanzati (a taste of the Medieval and Renaissance past), and
• the Museo Gucci (cutting edge fashion steeped in Florentine tradition)
The final day featured an excursion to the recently renovated Prato Textile Museum as well as a “hands-on” tour of the Giovanni Masi Vintage Archive.
Costume Colloquium III: Past Dress – Future Fashion was the third in a series of bi-annual conferences dedicated to the discussion of fashion, fabric, styles, techniques, conservation and the many topics associated with dress history and contemporary costume creation, use and design. Costume Colloquium I (2008) was a tribute to renowned dress historian Janet Arnold, while Costume Colloquium II (2010) centered on themes related to Dress for Dance. The 2012 edition will focus on the broader analysis of historical styles and their influences on current and future fashion trends.
Click here to view the Video Presentation on Youtube of Costume Colloquium III
Click here to view the PDF Presentation of Costume Colloquium IIIPast Dress – Future Fashion
