Join us in Manchester on November 18th for a day of dress history delights, all in keeping with our current Year of Menswear.
‘Dandy Style’ at Manchester Art Gallery:
‘The dandy takes any change in style and personalises it, perfects it, and presents himself to the world after a good deal of care and attention!’
- Dr Miles Lambert, Costume Curator, Manchester Art Gallery
Following much anticipation, Manchester Art Gallery is opening the doors to its new Fashion Gallery! The Gallery’s extensive costume collection, which was housed at Platt Hall between 1947-2017, is once again on display to the public following its move into the Mosely Street central Gallery site. The inaugural exhibition, ‘Dandy Style’, opens the new dedicated first-floor Fashion Gallery, marking the first of many innovative exhibitions of their fascinating dress and textile collection that can be expected in the future. Not only celebrating the opening of the Fashion Gallery, for some pieces in the exhibition it also marks their first public display. The coinciding of the Costume Society’s ongoing Year of Menswear with the menswear-focused exhibition leads us to Manchester this November, to explore the Gallery, and engage in further activities and studies of menswear across the city.
‘Dandy-ism’, the phrase denoting a particular strain of men’s style coined in the eighteenth century, has come to take on a more general application over time. Further, it needn’t be gendered in a contemporary setting either. ‘Dandy Style’ curator Dr Shaun Cole highlights that while it ‘is still the case in that a Dandy is concerned with both his overall appearance and the nuances of details’, ‘the definitions have of course developed and adapted over time and Dandies are not necessarily men any longer.’ As such, the exhibition presents a great opportunity to reflect on the ideas of gender and style we have been exploring this year. The associated pride in appearance and committed approach to dress makes this a fantastic opening exhibition for the new gallery space, particularly given that ‘Manchester is full of dandies!’, as Dr Miles Lambert notes. …We may spot Dandy-ism on the streets and in the display cases on our trip!
Within the ‘Dandy Style’ exhibition, we will see men’s fashion spanning the past 250 years, across themes within the development of male style, image and identity, with fashion and fine art exhibited in tandem. Split into two sections, ‘Tailored Dandy’ and ‘Decorated Dandy’, audiences can explore different facets of the development of British men’s fashion through the works of artists and designers such as Lubaina Himid, Thomas Gainsborough , Vivienne Westwood, and Alexander McQueen, with nods to icons of men’s style history such as Oscar Wilde and David Bowie. For Dr Shaun Cole, ‘the highlight of the exhibition is seeing historic and contemporary British menswear juxtaposed with each other and represented in historic painted and contemporary photographic portraits. Having suits worn by Gilbert and George, the tromp l'oeil printed jumpsuit by young designer Charles Jeffrey and the modern take on a men's suit represented by Nicholas Daley's tracksuit collaboration with Fred Perry are particularly significant.’.
The conversations between historic and contemporary objects, and objects of fashion, fine art and photography, is sure to provide a fascinating commentary of British menswear across a breadth of styles, time periods and cultural reference points. Curator Dr Miles Lambert explains that despite this breadth in time and objects, ‘many of the preoccupations of style recur. In our chosen period (1760-2022) there have been many lurches to extravagance and others towards simplicity and plainness’, of which we can expect to see examples of both.
Not only will we have a chance to explore the exhibition, we will also receive a talk by the ‘Dandy Style’ curators, Rebecca Milner, Dr Miles Lambert, and Dr Shaun Cole.
For those who cannot make the trip, the exhibition is on display from October 7th 2022-May 1st 2023, with free admission. To extend your ‘Dandy Style’ immersion beyond the Gallery, an accompanying book 'Dandy Style' is available from the gallery shop, for which members will receive a 10% discount on the day.
‘Why don’t men wear high heels? Reflections on men’s footwear and gender’, Dr Benjamin Linley Wild:
Alongside exploring ‘Dandy Style’, the trip will also include a talk from Dr Benjamin Linley Wild, senior lecturer at the Manchester Fashion Institute. It is often said that you can judge a lot about a man by his choice of footwear. Studying the evolution of men’s shoes, this lecture considers how men’s dress is shaped, psychologically and physically, by the shifting concept of gender.
The talk is bound to be a fascinating accompaniment to our continuing exploration of menswear, presenting yet another interesting perspective on the relationships, themes, and histories tied up in fashion and gender.
Afternoon Tea, GROW Café:
Finally, we will round off our trip with an afternoon tea at the GROW Café in the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, led by Costume Society trustee Haleh Moravej. From the food to the ambience, everything will be costume-themed, and will surely be a great way to come together and unpack the exhibition and talks of the day.
Join us:
The trip is taking place on Friday 18th of November. Click here to book your tickets via Eventbrite. Attendees can also apply to receive discount on hotels in Manchester for the event.
Dont miss out on this fasinating trip! Become a member of the Costume Society by clicking here.
Check out the following Instagrams:
@mcrartgallery – Manchester Art Gallery
@shaunrichardcole – Dr Shaun Cole
@growmeatfree – GROW Cafe
@mcrfashioninstitute - Manchester Fashion Institute
@benjamin_wild - Dr Benjamin Linley Wild
Check out the following Twitter pages:
@mcrartgallery – Manchester Art Gallery
@ShaunRCole – Dr Shaun Cole
@DrBenjaminWild - Dr Benjamin Linley Wild
@McrFashionInstitute - Manchester Fashion Institute
Image gallery
Manchester Art Gallery's Dandy Style Exhibition; Decorated Dandy exhibit
Manchester Art Gallery's Dandy Style Exhibition; Tailored Dandy exhibit
