On Wednesday 2 November 2016 Brighton Museum and Art Gallery will be hosting a one-day conference – “Creating African Fashion Histories” – in partnership with the Royal Pavilion and Museums, Sussex Africa Centre, the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton.

Coinciding with the first major UK exhibition dedicated to contemporary African fashion – “Fashion Cities Africa” curated by Helen Mears, Martin Pel and Harriet Hughes (on display at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery until 8 January 2017) – this conference will explore the possibilities and limitations of dress and fashion history within the wider context of current and past narratives about African fashion.

Presentations and panel discussions will focus on the construction of African fashion histories; the transmission and translation of African fashion identities; new directions in collecting and curating African fashion and the evolution of new platforms for the dissemination of African fashion.

Confirmed speakers include: Victoria Rovine (author, African Fashion, Global Style), Carol Tulloch (author, The Birth of Cool: Style Narratives of the African Diaspora), Christopher Richards (curator, Kabas and Couture: Contemporary Ghanaian Fashion), Erica de Greef, Angela Jansen (author, Moroccan Fashion, Design, Culture and Tradition), Heather Akou (author, The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture), Jody Benjamin, Hannah Pool (author, Fashion Cities Africa, curator, Africa Utopia) Helen Jennings (author, New African Fashion) and others.

“My favourite designer now is Chioma Chukwulozie in Lagos, who is really versatile and who has a range of beautifully cut and finished black and red bespoke caftans.”
Binyavanga Wainaina – Writer, based in Nairobi
(Source: Fashion Cities Africa, 2016: p. 13)

CONFERENCE DETAILS:

Title: Creating African Fashion Histories 

Venue: The Old Courtroom, 118 Church Street, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, BN1 1UD

Date: Wednesday 2 November 2016 (10am – 6pm, followed by a drinks reception)

LINKS AND FURTHER INFORMATION:

For further information about the conference programme, and online booking information, please visit the website http://brightonmuseums.org.uk
(For an online conference booking form, click here )

Conference fee: £50 full price, £35 concessions. This fee includes tea and coffee and, following the conference, an evening reception with the opportunity to view the exhibition Fashion Cities Africa.

Fashion Cities Africa exhibition (on display until 8 January 2017) web page: http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton/what-to-see/fashion-cities-africa/

Fashion Africa at Brighton Museums on Tumblr:
http://fashion-africa-brightonmuseums.org.uk/

Photo credit for the title image: 2manysiblings (Velma Rossa and Papa Petit) photographed by VOStudio. Source: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.