The Fashion and Textile Museum presents varied, creative, and engaging exhibitions, alongside a selection of educational courses, talks, events and workshops. In place of a permanent display is a diverse programme of temporary exhibitions, displaying a broad range of innovative fashion and textiles from designers and makers around the world.
Founded in 2003 by Dame Zandra Rhodes as a space to showcase British fashion design, the museum is housed in a beautiful and distinctive building, designed by renowned Mexican architect, Ricardo Legorreta. The iconic orange and pink building houses, not only the museum but residential flats and Dame Zandra Rhodes design studio.
Since 2007 the Museum has been operated by Newham College, London – one of Europe’s largest further education colleges. Under the colleges ownership the Fashion and Textile Museum has broadened its mission. Today, the Museum has staged over 30 major exhibitions, featuring British and international designers, artists, and brands and is dedicated to celebrating and exploring textiles, fashion and related disciplines.
The Museum holds a small permanent collection comprised of 20th Century fashion and textiles compiled by Zandra Rhodes in the early years of the institution. The collection is used across our learning programmes and a selection of items, curated by museum volunteers, can be found on display in the Museum foyer.
Our Work
Presenting a diverse range of temporary exhibitions showcasing innovative fashion and textile design from around the world, the Fashion and Textile Museum explores the past, present and future of fashion and textiles.
The Museum’s work is recognised nationally and internationally, with exhibitions featuring designers, artisans, craftspeople, and artists from across Britain and abroad touring regularly across the UK and the world.
Commercial
Exhibition Hire
The Museum has been touring its exhibition programme since 2010, both in the UK and internationally. Our varied, creative and engaging programme of touring exhibitions offers wide audience appeal. We work closely with our touring partners throughout the hire process to offer support in planning, installation, marketing and retail.
Learn moreVenue Hire
The Fashion and Textile Museum is a stunning venue in fashionable Bermondsey Street, and only minutes away from London Bridge. It has several spaces available to hire, either separately or jointly – perfect for everything from a major fashion or product launch to an intimate meeting or seminar.
Learn moreWork At The Museum
Occasionally we need to recruit new staff and we look for bright, talented and passionate people to join our small but dynamic team. If contemporary fashion and textiles is your thing, find out how you can play an active part in delivering our fantastic exhibitions to visitors.
Find out about the latest exciting job opportunities at the Fashion and Textile Museum or check out our current volunteer opportunities using the links below. Please note that we do not accept unsolicited CVs.