Fashion FWD >> Disruption through Design, Otago Museum’s latest exhibition is now open to the public. The exhibition has been designed in-house with a swathe of
local and international collaborators: selected iD Emerging Designer finalists since inception and from around the
world; Dunedin’s top designers; and selected items from Otago Museum’s vast textile collection, fusing the lines between
historical and current innovative narratives in fashion that is brazen, chic and defiant.
The exhibition features Dunedin’s top designers, the Godmothers of Dunedin fashion, Margarita Robertson of NOM*d, Tanya
Carlson, of CARLSON, and Sara Munro, of Company of Strangers, Donna Tulloch of Mild Red and Charmaine Reveley. The exhibition was created by Otago Museum in partnership with iD Fashion and Otago Polytechnic, and
is supported by McMillan Lawyers.
The inspiration for Fashion FWD came from Dr Margo Barton, iD Emerging Design Awards founder and Otago Polytechnic
academic leader of Fashion Design. “I thought the anniversaries of iD Dunedin and the iD International Emerging Designer
Awards, respectively, would be a good opportunity to reflect on the long history of iD Fashion Week”, and the exhibition
was born.
Fashion FWD >> opened to the public on Saturday 27 March, and has generated a lot of interest amongst New Zealand’s design, fashion,
and textile lovers. “We began with a sold-out panel discussion featuring one of the exhibition curators, the amazing Dr
Jane Malthus, and the Godmothers, Dunedin seems really excited about the plethora of events planned throughout the
exhibition.”, said Marketing Coordinator, Charlie Buchan. “Every month we have a Fashion Friday, with a Godmother
featured in an insider talk, access to the exhibition afterhours, a fashion film, and of course bubbles. We think they
will be really popular, and hope we will see people from around the country flying down to experience urban Dunedin with
our fashion, sound, and fantastic restaurants, bars, and shopping”, he continued.
The exhibition is also the inspiration behind t-shirts and totes, that feature augmented reality. A first for The Print
Room, the black and white print design comes to life in flashes of colour and sound when scanned. “The AR is super fun,
people are loving them!”, said Otago Museum Shop Manager, Samanta King.
The exhibition is open until 17 October, and more information about events can be found on otagomuseum.nz/whats-on