The Fashion and Textile Museum in London has confirmed today that Riviera Style, an exhibition that showcases 100 years of swimwear from 19th century bodysuits and Fifties’ bikinis to the 21st century burkini and mankini, has been extended due to popular demand.
The Riviera Style exhibition - curated by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)'s design historian Dr Christine Boydell (
pictured above) - is attracting record numbers to the Fashion and Textile Museum, London with visitor figures up 19 per cent on the same period last year.
Due to this significant public demand the show is to be extended to 13 September. The show, which opened on 22 May, was previously set to close on 30th August.
The museum has also seen record sales of exhibition prints thanks to a partnership with UK art publisher King and McGaw, with the most popular image being the Clacton-on-Sea Butlin’s poster designed in 1941 for London North East Railway, closely followed by La Plage de Calvi by Roger Broders c.1929.
“We are thrilled about the response to the exhibition so far”, says Celia Joicey, Head of Fashion and Textile Museum. “Riviera Style has attracted fantastic footfall and press attention including features on why bathing suits got smaller to international curiosity in the history of British seaside resorts.
“With the global swimwear market set to be worth $19.3bn by 2018, we’ve seen particular interest in the history of menswear, which is seen to be driving growth in the industry. We hope that the exhibition extension will give many more people the chance to see this internationally important collection, on loan from Leicestershire County Council.”
Further events planned for the exhibition include an evening discussion on the links between maritime dress and fashion with historian Amber Butchart, a fashion summer school in August and a shoe design course with Chris Hill, one-time tutor to Jimmy Choo, Patrick Cox and Emma Hope. Students on DMU's Contour Fashion course - the oldest course of its kind in the country - is also on display as part of the exhibition.
Dr Boydell said: "“Swimwear tells many different stories about society,” she explained. “In the 1920s, for example, women did not wear trousers but the beachwear allowed them to do so. Beach pyjamas became sophisticated evening wear.
“In the 1960s, swimming costumes were named after Spanish resorts to reflect the British love of package holidays which were growing in popularity, so we include swimwear named ‘Majorca’."
Interest in the Fashion and Textile Museum has increased each year since 2010 and in 2013 visitors grew by 64% (Visit England tourism report, 2014).
“Many of the museum’s exhibitions are now attracting international attention, with the Artist Textiles Picasso to Warhol exhibition now at the Textile Museum of Canada, Made in Mexico is on tour at the Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City and the Knitwear Chanel to Westwood exhibition will tour to the Kunsthal Rotterdam in December."
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Life's a beach for DMU academic curating London's must-see show The Fashion and Textile Museum is owned and managed by Newham College – the only Museum in the UK owned by a College of Further Education – and is supported by a programme of practical and vocational courses, from the craft of couture and tailoring to digital design.
For more information on the exhibition and opening hours, please see the Museum website
here
Posted on Friday 26 June 2015