BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design first year students will showcase their work at the 1960’s Fashionista: The Marguerite Elliot Collection exhibition at Hartlepool Museum this November. The collaboration will also showcase pieces loaned to the museum from our Costume Archive, an exclusive catalogue of garments ranging from the victorian era through to the 60’s an beyond.

The exhibition which runs until March next year ‘shines a light on one of our most fabulous clothing collections all assembled by one fashion fan: Marguerite Elliot. Originally from Hartlepool, Marguerite, collected the latest fashions, magazines and accessories while living in London during the swinging 60’s. Come and see some stunning pieces, learn all about fashion icons and designers and discover how the decade revolutionised the fashion industry.’

“This exhibition explore all aspects of ’60’s female fashions, the introduction of man made fabrics into everyday clothing, and how the people of hartlepool stayed fashionable during the swinging sixties.”

Marguerite Elliot was a textiles artist and lecturer for several institutions including our school in the 1960’s upon her death her estate was split across those institutions including ours, which included authentic hand made 60’s garments from the artist. In response to the collection level 4 students were set the task of drafting new original garments from the artefacts featured in the exhibition during welcome week. Lecturer Ian Bowden said “As part of this years welcome week we set our students a brief to creatively respond to our 60’s archive collection for the exhibition. Using print and 60’s patterns they created shift dresses using stencils and painting techniques to create original pieces, a selection of these will now sit in the museum along with the archive with other artefacts.” The exhibition will showcase different pieces of the collection and other garments from the era, it will also have a craft section so that members of the public can create their own pieces of 60’s inspired art.