Fashion makes an appearance at UQ

Brisbane will become the centre of the fashion world next week when academics and designers meet at The University of Queensland.

They will discuss everything from how a war is being fought over women’s fashion in Iran to how well dressed Australia television presenters are.

Making an appearance: An international conference on fashion, dress and consumption will be hosted by UQ’s Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies from July 10–13 in association with Queensland University of Technology’s Creative Industries Faculty.

“It will be the first time at an Australian university that scholars, industry practitioners, journalists and local designers will debate the latest thinking on fashion, identity, the body and consumption,” said event co-convenor Dr Margaret Maynard from UQ’s School of English, Media Studies and Art History.

“In recent years fashion and dress studies have undergone dramatic disciplinary transformation. Anthropologists, sociologists and consumption theorists have shifted the focus from costume history to its current position at the heart of social, political and cultural studies.

“This conference will offer a unique opportunity to discuss fashion’s current place and its future as well as how dress is central to gender, culture and race.”

Keynote speakers include fashion studies pioneer Elizabeth Wilson (formerly of the University of North London), fashion and masculinity expert Christopher Breward (London College of Fashion, London Institute) and fashion author Valerie Steele (Fashion Institute of Technology, New York).

Fashion editor of The Australian Edwina McCann and news editor of Vogue Australia Natasha Inchley will speak about Fashion journalism in a plenary panel discussion on Thursday, July 10. QUT’s Professor John Hartley will chair the discussion. In addition, The Bulletin columnist Catharine Lumby will talk about fashion and journalism and Daniel Palmer of the University of Melbourne and Centre for Contemporary Photography will talk about fashion photography.

There will be an opportunity to Meet the Designers on Friday, July 11 when QUT’s Lucienne Camenzuli chairs a broad-ranging discussion between fashion designers Lydia Pearson and Pam Easton of Easton Pearson, as well as Susan Dimasi, Sara Thorn and Cahal.

In conjunction with the conference, re-worked fashion from the past century will be showcased at a gala opening event on Thursday, July 10 at Old Government House, George St, Brisbane city.

Entitled eCHO, it is the result of a collaborative research project involving fashion and textile designers, artists, academics and students. Project collaborators include the Country Road design team, designers Akira Isogawa and Easton Pearson, as well as the London College of Fashion and Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand.

Various local art galleries and museums are holding fashion-related exhibits to coincide with the conference. They include an exhibition of textiles and wearable art from Papua New Guinea at UQ’s Customs House Art Gallery from July 10–August 17 (399 Queen St, Brisbane city, open 10am–4pm daily, telephone 07 3365 8999).

Further information, registration and a full list of speakers and topics is available at www.fashion2003.net

Media: People wishing to attend any of the events should contact event co-convenor Dr Morris Low from UQ’s School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies (telephone 07 3365 6935, email m.low@uq.edu.au). For further information regarding the conference, contact Dr Maynard (telephone 07 3365 2960, mobile 0417 784 377), Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619) or visit www.fashion2003.net