The Enterprise of Culture: the European fashion system around the world

The Enterprise of Culture comes to the V&A on Friday 10 June 2016, with a final public conference showcasing the project’s research from the last three years.

This one day event highlights exciting new research undertaken by The Enterprise of Culture project team and offers an insight into the European fashion industry around the world, looking at topics such as influential brands from Biba and Mary Quant to today’s H&M, Italian fashion and the role of the department store buyer, Scottish tartan and tweed, the international reach of British textiles, luxury and fashion.

Speakers include representatives from the V&A, the Centre for Business History Stockholm, the Yorkshire Fashion Archive, the fashion industry and researchers from the universities of Leeds, Oslo, Newcastle, Erasmus Rotterdam, Heriot Watt and St Andrews.

We welcome guest speaker Edwina Ehrman, Curator of the V&A’s exciting new exhibition, Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear who will take a look at the creation and marketing of a luxury lingerie brand, Janet Reger.

Fashion journalist, Lou Stoppard, will chair a roundtable discussion made up of representatives from the fashion industry to consider the conference themes in more depth and open the floor for debate.

Organised by team members at The Enterprise of Culture from the V&A and the University of Leeds, the conference will bring together academics, fashion industry practitioners, students, archivists, museum curators and the general public.

Professor Regina Lee Blaszczyk, Project Leader for the Enterprise of Culture, said:

"The V&A conference is the culmination of three years of research on design, innovation, and branding in the European fashion industry since 1945. The Enterprise of Culture is delighted to be able to present our findings at the world's leading museum of art and design."

The conference takes place at the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre at the V&A on Friday 10 June, starting with registration at 10.00am.

Booking is essential as places are limited. The conference is free to attend and includes lunch and refreshments.

More information, including the full programme and how to book, can be found here.

Image © Hagley Museum and Library