Saturday 26 September 10-10 p.m.: Study Day and Book Launch: Patterns of Fashion 7 with Jenny Tiramani

Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL, United Kingdom

The School of Historical Dress is dedicated to the study of historical clothing and textiles through direct engagement with surviving garments and primary source material. Guided by the motto “Anything Anyone Ever Wore”, the School encourages a broad and deeply researched understanding of dress across periods, cultures and social histories.

Through specialist teaching, object handling and practical reconstruction, students are introduced to the techniques, materials and methods used in historical garment making, while also learning how clothing was worn and experienced in everyday life. Its courses attract costume designers, makers, curators, conservators and researchers from around the world, all drawn by the School’s uniquely hands-on approach to dress history. 

The School is led by Jenny Tiramani, an internationally respected costume and stage designer whose work spans theatre, opera and education. Formerly Director of Theatre Design at Shakespeare's Globe, she received both a Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award for her costume design work, and has played a major role in shaping contemporary approaches to historically informed costume.

Alongside her design practice, Jenny has co-authored and expanded the influential Patterns of Fashion series by Janet Arnold, a set of publications that have become essential references for costume makers, fashion historians and textile scholars worldwide. Jenny is joined by co-authors Bernadette Banner, Melanie Braun, Irene D'Antonio, Niki Miles, Sébastien Passot, Thomas Sylvester, Philip Sykas, Claire Thornton and Paweł Tomaszewski, who will all contribute to the study day.

Event Description

The School of Historical Dress will host the UK launch and Symposium for Patterns of Fashion 7: The Content, Cut, Construction and Context of Tailored Menswear c.1620–1720.

10.30 am to 5.30 pm: the daytime programme will feature a series of presentations and live demonstrations exploring the research, techniques and craftsmanship behind seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century tailored dress.

Drawing on surviving garments, scale patterns and detailed historical analysis, the sessions will offer insight into the cut, construction and social significance of menswear from the period, revealing the extraordinary skill involved in historical tailoring and reconstruction.

7.00pm to 10.00 pm: An evening celebration marking the publication of the new volume in the renowned Patterns of Fashion series. Guests will experience live dressings of handmade seventeenth-century reconstructions, bringing historical clothing vividly to life through the process of layering, fitting and styling garments on the body.

Accompanied by special guests and shared conversation, the evening offers a rare opportunity to see historical dress not simply as an object of study but as something animated by movement, wear, and skilled making.

Event Cancellation Policy
All bookings are non-refundable. However, if you let us know that you are unable to attend an event you have booked at least two weeks before the event, we will open up your place. If we find another participant, you will be offered a credit note.

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