Meet the exhibition curators and art director behind Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London exhibition at this lively panel discussion.
The exhibition centres around the legendary nightclub Taboo, opened by designer and performance artist Leigh Bowery in 1985. Imposing ‘dress as though your life depends on it, or don’t bother’ as the dress code, the Taboo circle – which included fashion designers BodyMap, Rachel Auburn, John Crancher and Pam Hogg, dancer Michael Clark and pop star Boy George – sparked a scene that used the language of hedonistic excess to create fashion, art and popular culture.
Hear how the curators selected original garments and accessories from Leigh Bowery and over thirty designers, including custom-made pieces from private collections and rare pieces from designers such as John Galliano, John Flett, Stephen Linard and Dean Bright amongst others and how they bought this vibrant alternative scene to life for the museum audience.
The talk starts at 18:00, ticket holders are welcome to view the exhibition before the talk begins.
Standard Ticket £17.50 | Student Ticket £15.50 (tickets include complimentary drink and exhibition entry)
The exhibition is curated by Martin Green, Duovision Arts, and NJ Stevenson. Artistic Director David Cabaret. Creative Consultant James Lawler, Duovision Arts.
About the speakers
NJ Stevenson is a fashion curator, author, and lecturer at London College of Fashion. She is curator of the current display, ‘Do a Ruby Keeler – The Boy Friend: Period film and retro fashion in 1971,’ at the Fashion and Textile Museum. NJ Stevenson also curated Billy: Bill Gibb’s Moment in Time at the Fashion and Textile Museum in 2008. Recent publications include, ‘A Continuous Connection’ in Kaffe Fassett: The Artist’s Eye, (Yale University Press 2022) and ‘Shirley Russell and the Role of The Boy Friend in 1970s Retro’ in ReFocus: The Films of Ken Russell (Edinburgh University Press 2023).
Martin Green and James Lawler are together Duovision Arts and have curated over 40 exhibitions including solo shows by Jarvis Cocker, Marc Almond, Holly Johnson, Sheila Rock, Pam Hogg and Andrew Logan. Martin Green was a regular on the 1980s club circuit and went on to run the legendary nightclub Smashing in the early 90s. Green has compiled 30 albums and has a show on Soho Radio. He has co-ordinated fashion show music for Katherine Hamnett, Pringle and Pucci and has DJ’d at events for Pulp, Prada and Paul McCartney.
David Cabaret started sewing at ten years old inspired by film costume and outfits he saw on Top of The Pops. He became a recognisable face on the London club scene, known for experimental and inspiring looks including, Warhol’s Marilyn, Tretchikov’s Blue Lady and a walking Lichtenstein spot painting which often featured in The Face and Time Out. Cabaret has worked in film and theatre costume for decades and was Assistant Designer and Head Maker on Boy George’s Taboo the Musical (2002), He has created stage costumes for numerous pop bands including Erasure and has worked on couture and ready-to-wear fashion collections with Mr Pearl, Thierry Mugler, Dior and Alexander McQueen as well as costumes and accessories for film productions including, Marvel’s Black Widow (2021) and The Avengers film series (2023).
Dennis Nothdruft is Head of Exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum. He has led the exhibitions team at the Museum since it was founded by Zandra Rhodes in 2003 and previously spent many years working as a design assistant in Zandra Rhodes studios in both San Diego and London. He has lectured widely on many aspects of fashion and textiles and has authored several books including Zandra Rhodes 50 Fabulous Years in Fashion, How to Draw like a Fashion designer, How to Draw Vintage Fashion and Kaffe Fassett the Artist’s Eye.
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