91119 - Fashion Curation

Learning outcomes

It will be discussed the legitimization of fashion as a cultural phenomenon and the role of exhibitions as a unique format in which to present new ideas on both old and new fashions. The staging and visual performance of fashion will be analyzed within different media: the museum, the academy, and the fashion industry as an integrated formula for exhibition display.

Course contents

The course aims to provide the theoretical and design basis that will allow students to manage the complexity of an exhibition project.

The course is divided into two main parts: a first part introducing the concept of curatorship, exhibition and the necessary tools to manage an effective curatorial project; a second part specifically on fashion curatorship, seen both as a cultural project and as a branding project. This second part will take place through the presentation and analysis of case studies.

Readings/Bibliography

For non-attending students:
Balzer, D. Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, Coach House Books and Pluto Press, 2014/2015
Breward, C. "Between Museum and the Academy", Fashion Theory 12, 1, 2008, pp. 83-94.
Geczy, A. and Karaminas, V. "Fashion and Art. Critical Crossovers", in Geczy and Karaminas (eds) Fashion and Art, Berg, London and New York 2012.
Marchetti, L. and Segre Reinach, S. Exhibit! Fashion on Display: Exhibitions and Brand Spaces, Pearson Italia, Milan-Turin 2020.
Riegels Melchior, M. "Introduction: Understanding Fashion and Dress Museology" in Fashion and Museums edited by Riegels Melchior and Svensson, Bloomsbury, London and New York 2014.
Steele, V. "Fashion" in Geczy and Karaminas (eds) Fashion and Art, Berg, London and New York 2012.
Steele, V. "Museum Quality", Fashion Theory 12, 1, 2008, pp. 7-30.
Vanska, A.M. and Clark, H. Fashion Curating: Critical Practice in the Museum and Beyond (Introduction only) Bloomsbury 2014.

For attending students, a specific bibliography will be provided during the lectures.

Teaching methods

Lectures and project work.

Assessment methods

Attending students: presentation of a group project; discussion of the contents of the lessons; active participation during the lessons.

Non-attending students: discussion of the course bibliography and presentation of an analysis of a fashion exhibition assigned by the teacher.

Teaching tools

Digital Sources, Videos, Student presentations

Office hours

See the website of Vittorio Linfante