Thursday 17 - Saturday 19 September, 11-5 p.m.: Exhibition: MA Costume Show, Wimbledon College of Arts

Wimbledon College of Arts, Merton Hall Rd, London SW19 3QA, United Kingdom

The MA Costume course at Wimbledon College of Arts, part of University of the Arts London (UAL), brings together historical dress research, traditional costume-making skills and contemporary digital techniques to explore the future of costume practice. Rooted in handcraft, construction and material knowledge, the course encourages students to investigate historical garments through archival research, fabrication, conservation and performance, while engaging critically with sustainability, ethics and representation.

Students develop specialist skills across costume cutting, textile manipulation, digital embroidery, laser cutting, 3D printing and fabric treatments, creating work that responds both to historical source material and contemporary audiences. Collaboration, experimentation and sustainable production methods sit at the heart of the programme, preparing graduates for careers across costume design, conservation, curation, fabrication and performance industries.

Event Description
The MA Costume Show at Wimbledon College of Arts presents a new generation of costume practitioners whose work combines rigorous historical research with inventive contemporary making. Showcasing costumes, textile experiments, process material and realised garments developed throughout the course, the exhibition offers insight into how students transform archival investigation into fully realised three-dimensional works.

Visitors can expect an eclectic range of costume practices spanning historical reconstruction, speculative design, textile innovation and performance-led making. Traditional handcraft techniques sit alongside digital processes including laser cutting, digital embroidery and 3D fabrication, revealing the dialogue between past and future that defines the course.

Alongside finished costumes, the exhibition highlights the research, material exploration and ethical considerations underpinning each project, from fabric sourcing and sustainable production to questions of identity, representation and audience interpretation. Together, the works reflect a thoughtful and highly skilled approach to costume as both historical inquiry and contemporary creative practice.

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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