The Fashion and Textile Museum Collection highlights the changing face of contemporary fashion from 1947 to the present day. All items in the Collection relate to the design and production of fashion, textiles and jewellery, with a number of key garments from designers including Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Biba, Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood.
The Collection features regularly in the Museum’s programme of exhibitions and items are also shown in practical workshops and history of fashion lectures. The Museum is also willing to lend to other galleries and institutions. The Collection provides an invaluable resource for students of fashion, textiles and tailoring, as well as cultural history, and it is possible for researchers to conduct private study of items in the Collection by making an appointment.
The Museum can also provide information on and access to the Zandra Rhodes Collection, which is an outstanding resource containing 40 years of work including samples, paper patterns, textiles and ephemera.
