Streetstyle Sportstyle 89/09

Exhibition finished

2009-10-18T13:05:00.001+01:00

Streetstyle Sportstyle has now closed.

Fashion events coming up!

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Come along to some fantastic FREE fashion events in August.

Saturday 15 August Exhibition open 10.00-4.00

Illustrated talk: Streets, Beats and Style. Exploring hip-hop and sports casual fashion with Sarah Blackstock 2.00-4.00

Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives 1.00-3.00
Also:

Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00

Hands-on craft workshop: create exciting trainer designs on paper templates using collage and fabrics. Drop in anytime 1.30-3.30. Suitable for all ages.

Saturday 22 August
Fashion Day 10.00-4.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives in your favourite fashion outfit 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Workshop for all ages: Fashion accessories from recycled materials. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00 Suitable for all ages.
Community Fashion Show 12.00 & 2.00

Also today: Take part in our film about fashion and identity!

Monday 24 August
Fashion Night 6.00-9.00pm
Join us for a fashionable evening out. Arts Bar open.
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives in your favourite outfit 6.00-9.00pm
Fashion swap shop – bring your old (but fabulous) clothes and swap them for something else!
Streetstyle Fashion Show 7.00 & 8.00pm

What is Streetstyle? Debate involving Sophie Woodward from Nottingham Trent University and Tim Edwards, Leicester University. Come and have your say! 6-7pm

Saturday 29th August
Fashion Day 10.00-4.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives in your favourite fashion outfit 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Hands-on craft workshop: create exciting sports logo designs on paper templates using collage and fabrics. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00 Suitable for all ages.

For further information and booking

Full events listing here

Please call (0116) 252 2455 10.00am - 6.00pm Mondays - Fridays.

All events are subject to change without notice, please ring in advance.

Free workshops - fashion illustration and paper shoe making

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Monday 3rd August. Fashion illustration for 12-16 year olds. (beginners level)

11-4, The Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester.

Free, all materials provided.

To book please call 0116 252 2455

Wednesday 5th August.

Paper shoes and dresses with artist Jennifer Collier. This workshop is a real treat for all who love fashion, craft and paper. Take the whole day to explore making delicate miniature shoes and dresses from vintage and recycled papers including maps, books and dress patterns.

11-4, The Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester.

Free, all materials provided.

To book please call 0116 252 2455

What is Streetstyle Sportstyle 89/09?

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What were you wearing in 1989?
What are you wearing in 2009?
What do our clothes say about us and our lives?

Streetstyle, Sportstyle 89/09 is an exhibition exploring what people in the East Midlands were wearing in 1989 and what they choose to wear in 2009.

Photo by Nine Photos

The exhibition takes place at the Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester University
18 July - 29 August 2009. Monday to Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-4. Admission free.

Extensive events programme with many free events for all ages.

Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 89/09 explores what people in the East Midlands were wearing in 1989 and what they are wearing today, celebrating the Special Olympics GB taking place in Leicester in both 1989 and 2009. The exhibition is a snapshot of the styles and choices worn by diverse communities who all live together in this region.

The clothes and other items in this exhibition have been collected by volunteer community curators who have worked with their local communities to find out what people were wearing 20 years ago and what they like to wear now.

Photo by Nine Photos

Be part of a Streetstyle film!

2009-04-25T21:49:00.004+01:00

VPoint.TV is making a film exploring fashion and identity in 1989 and 2009

Do you consider your fashion choices to be an extension of your personality?

Were you wild about fashion in 1989?

Do you have strong opinions on fashion and identity?

Are you too young to remember the 80s but are embracing 80s fashion today?

VPoint.TV is filming at the Streetstyle 89 Sportstyle 09 exhibition, The Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester (10.00-4.00) on Saturday 22nd August and will be looking for people to interview about their memories of 1989 and their style choices of today.

If you would like to be filmed please email rebecca@vpoint.tv or simply turn up on the 22nd August

And if you have pictures of yourself in 1989, please feel free to bring them along!

This film will be used to promote the streetstyle sportstyle exhibition as part of the cultural Olympiad events. It will be produced on a DVD and as a webfilm and could be used as part of the Streetstyle Sportstyle exhibition in the future.

Events

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Saturday 18 July
Community Open Day 10.00-4.00
Official launch 12.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Feltmaking workshop for all ages. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00
African headwrap demonstrations 11.00, 12.45, 3.15
Sari-draping demonstrations 11.15, 1.00, 3.30

Tuesday 21 July
Textile art taster session 10.00 -12.30
Create a piece of textile art inspired by the exhibition using mixed media and collage to create textures, patterns and colours. Experiment with fragments of fabric, threads, fibre and paint with discarded and waste.
Free for students who have not attended a class at The Richard Attenborough Centre before. Please book in advance. Tutor: Diane Hall. Follow-on paid course below. All materials provided. All levels.

Wednesday 22 July
Curator’s talk 2.00-3.00
Join the exhibition curator Ruth Singer for a guided tour and discussion about the exhibition.

Saturday 25 July
Sportstyle Day 10.00-4.00
Celebrate the opening of the Special Olympics with a day of fashion and sports events for all ages. Some events are specifically designed for those with learning disabilities.
Wear your favourite sportswear and have your photo taken for the exhibition archives 1.00-3.00
Guided tours for adults with learning disabilities 11.30 & 3.00
Fabric printing workshop. Bring a white t-shirt or other pale cotton garment to decorate with sportswear-inspired decoration. For all ages. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00

Monday 27 July
Sportswear Photography
New Walk Museum 12.00-19.00. Drop in anytime.
Come along in your best fashion sportswear or performance wear to be photographed for the exhibition. Selected images will be shown at The Richard Attenborough Centre later in the summer and they will also be available online.

Tuesday 28 July
Paper Dresses and Shoes 10.00-4.00
Drop-in for about half an hour.
Join artist Jennifer Collier to make miniature paper shoes and dresses using recycled paper and other material.
Suitable for all ages.

Tuesdays 28 July, 11 & 18 August 10.00 -12.30
Follow-on from free course above, developing ideas using needle and fibre as drawing tools and exploring ways of manipulating, distressing, distorting and joining these fluid materials.
Tutor: Diane Hall. All materials provided. All levels.
Cost £30 / £20 concessions

Wednesday 29 July 10.00-12.00
Workshop for for 12-16 year olds with learning disabilities.
Explore the exhibition with a guided tour and enjoy an object handling session. Free but please book in advance.

Wednesday 29 July
Silk flag painting 3.00-6.00
Special Olympics Games Village, Walkers Stadium
Create a flag for one of the Olympic countries using silk and fabric paints.
Suitable for all ages.

Wednesday 29 July
Poetry Workshop 2.30 - 4.30
Write poetry inspired by fashion and sportswear. Poet and fashion enthusiast, Deborah Tyler-Bennett, will guide participants around the exhibition to develop ideas for poetry. All ages. No experience necessary.
Please book in advance with 2Funky Arts on 0116 222 0639
info@2funkyarts.co.uk

Thursday 30 July
Workshop for adults with learning difficulties 2.00-4.00
Explore the exhibition with a guided tour and enjoy an object handling session. Free, but please book in advance.

Saturday 1 August
Celebrate Carnival Day 10.00-4.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Craft workshop for all ages. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00
Also visit us at the Carnival in Victoria Park and have your photo taken for the exhibition archives.

Monday 3 August
Explore Fashion Illustration 11.00-4.00
Workshop for beginners aged 12-16. Free but limited places, please book in advance.

Wednesday 5 August
Paper shoes and dresses 11.00-4.00
Join artist Jennifer Collier to make miniature paper shoes and dresses using recycled paper and other material.
Suitable for age 12 – adult.
Free but limited places, please book in advance.

Wednesday 5 August
Knit Café 6.00-8.00pm
Relax and knit in the Arts Bar and enjoy the chance to see the exhibition in the evening. Experts will be on hand to help you.

Saturday 8 August
Exhibition open 10.00-4.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Fashion customising workshop. Bring along an old garment to decorate and re-invigorate. All ages. Drop-in anytime 11.00-4.00

Saturday 15 August
Exhibition open 10.00-4.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Hands-on craft workshop: create exciting trainer designs on paper templates using collage and fabrics. Drop in anytime 1.30-3.30. Suitable for all ages.
Illustrated talk: Streets, Beats and Style. Exploring hip-hop and sports casual fashion with Sarah Blackstock 2.00-4.00
Art workshop taster session 10-12.30
Looking at designs, patterns and colour from the exhibition, we will use collage, paper, card, fresco and plaster plus paint and pastel to create relief patterns to develop work that expresses a variety of styles and designs.
Free for students who have not attended a class at The Richard Attenborough Centre before. Please book in advance. Tutor: Lorraine Marson. Follow-on paid course below. All materials provided. All levels.
Textile art short course

Saturday 22 August
Fashion Day 10.00-4.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives in your favourite fashion outfit 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Workshop for all ages: Fashion accessories from recycled materials. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00 Suitable for all ages.
Community Fashion Show 12.00 & 2.00

Monday 24 August
Fashion Night 6.00-9.00pm
Join us for a fashionable evening out. Arts Bar open.
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives in your favourite outfit 6.00-9.00pm
Fashion swap shop – bring your old (but fabulous) clothes and swap them for something else!
Streetstyle Fashion Show 7.00 & 8.00pm
Fashion film shows.
Hands on fashion workshops.
And much more.

Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 August
Art workshop 10.00-4.00
Follow-on from free course above, we will experiment BIG and BOLD pattern and colour using plaster bandage, string and pulses as our medium to produce enlarged patterns and textural designs. Tutor Lorraine Marson. All materials provided. All levels.
Cost £25 / £15 concessions

Wednesday 26 August
Curator’s talk 2.00-3.00
Join the exhibition curator Ruth Singer for a guided tour and discussion about the exhibition.

Saturday 29th August
Fashion Day 10.00-4.00
Have your photo taken for the exhibition archives in your favourite fashion outfit 1.00-3.00
Guided tours 11.30 & 3.00
Hands-on craft workshop: create exciting sports logo designs on paper templates using collage and fabrics. Drop in anytime 11.00-4.00 Suitable for all ages.

For further information and booking

Please call Leicester (0116) 252 2455 10.00am - 6.00pm Mondays - Fridays.

All events are subject to change without notice, please ring in advance.

Project Partners & Funders

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Partners

Nottingham City Museums and Galleries

Leicester City Council Arts and Museums Service

Northampton Museums

Derby Museums and Art Gallery

Media Archive for Central England

Lincolnshire Heritage Service

Richard Attenborough Centre

Special Olympics 2009

Funders

Heritage Lottery Fund

Igniting Ambition Programme

Renaissance East Midlands

MLA Museums, Libraries and Archives

Contact

2009-03-24T11:43:00.000Z

To find out more about the project please contact

Project Leader Ruth Singer
contact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk
07599 826569

Project Co-ordinator (for community and volunteer queries)
Sarah Blackstock
project@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk
07950 864258

What were you wearing in 89?

2009-01-20T21:00:00.000Z

Have you got something amazing in your wardrobe that you would like to lend us for the exhibition?

We want to show the clothing and style choices of the diverse communities in the region.

YOU can be involved by loaning an outfit, a pair of shoes, photographs or video and sharing the stories about what you are/were wearing, why you wore it and where you wore it.

Upload images to our Facebook group or to Flickr or join in the discussions.

Leave a comment below or contact us and we will do the rest!

Northampton

2009-01-20T20:28:00.005Z

On Saturday 13th June, we held a Day of Record at Northampton Museum where members of the public could come to be photographed for the exhibition. These are just some of the photos from that day. Images by Joanne Withers of Nine Photos.

Trainers at Northampton Museums
Northampton Museums are developing the UK’s first public trainer collection and are encouraging people to tell them what the collection should include.

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is home to the Designated Shoe Collection, the world's largest collection of shoe and shoe related items. The collection has over 12,000 shoes but only 4% are trainers. The museum now has funding from the Heritage Lottery Collecting Cultures Fund so that it can develop a trainer collection.

The final collection will include examples of iconic designs and new technologies as well as trainers worn by sports stars. All the big trainer brands will be represented; Nike, Adidas, Reebok Puma etc alongside the rare and less well known. The museum will also be collecting examples of advertising and promotional materials related to trainers. Once the collection is completed it will be displayed in a series of exhibitions in 2011.

The project has a Facebook group, The Trainer Collection. Group members can recommend trainers to buy, find out about the latest additions and be the first to hear about related events and workshops.

Leicester

2009-01-20T20:16:00.004Z

Leicester Arts and Museums Service are working with Streetstyle Sportstyle to create a project and exhibition which is rooted in the local community.

We are working with the Outreach team at Leicester Museums to engage diverse communities within the City. We are working closely with the Refugees and Asylum Seekers team on a fashion project which will involve a fashion showcase during the exhibition opening.

The Richard Attenborough Centre, University of Leicester
The RAC is our venue partner and we are working closely with them throughout the project. The RAC is providing staff expertise and assistance on all aspect of the project.

Events in Leicester
There is an extensive events programme for the exhibition, taking place in Leicester.

Volunteers in Leicester
We are working with several great volunteers in Leicester and are looking for more to work on the project over the summer. See here for more information on volunteering.

Museums Involved

2009-01-20T20:11:00.000Z

Nottingham City Museums and Galleries
Leicester City Council Arts and Museums Service
Northampton Museums
Derby Museums and Art Gallery
Media Archive for Central England
Lincolnshire Heritage Service
The Richard Attenborough Centre

Volunteer!

2009-01-20T19:50:00.000Z

We are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to work on the 2nd phase of the project - marketing and looking after the exhibition. The work will be based at The Richard Attenborough Centre, University of Leicester.

The roles includes:
1. Exhibition assistance - visitor services, customer care & security. You will need to be conscientious, friendly, approachable and good with people.
Time committment: Mid-July 2009 - end August. You will need to work at least one day per week Monday-Friday (10-6) and occasional Saturdays or evenings.

2. Exhibition marketing. This involves leaflet distribution in your local area, mailings and contacting organisations. This will take place from 1st June - late August.

Training will be given and travel expenses from within Leicestershire will be paid. You must commit to working at least 5 days on the project over the June - August period.

Please contact us for more information

Project Team

2009-01-20T19:47:00.001Z

The project employs two part-time freelance members of staff

Ruth Singer
Project Leader
contact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk
07599 826569

Project Co-ordinator (for community and volunteer queries)
Sarah Blackstock
project@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk
07950 864258

We are also working with many dedicated volunteers who are vital to making this project successful. There are more volunteer opportunities available from now until September 2009.

Project Information

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Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 1989/2009 is a project run by Renaissance East Midlands.
Renaissance East Midlands is a consortium of museums in the East Midlands and is based at Leicester City Council.

The project is part of Leicester City Council's Cultural Olympiad programme and is part of the East Midlands Igniting Ambition Showcase 2 programme to accompany the staging of the Special Olympics in Leicester.

For funders and partners, please see this page.

The project employs two members of staff who are working with many volunteers to create the exhibition and associated programmes.

News

2009-01-20T19:31:00.003Z

The exhibition opens on 18th July with a big community launch and free events for all ages all day, 10.00-4.00. There are more events, workshops and activities throughout the summer.

Photo by Nine Photos

Volunteer blog

2009-01-10T09:01:00.000Z

My experiences of volunteering for Streetstyle Sportstyle

I had been looking for a volunteer placement for a couple of months, when I picked up a leaflet at university. It had a pair of Dr Martens on it similar to a pair I had owned in the 80s, I’d worn them to destruction and remembered them fondly. The leaflet was inviting local people to get involved in an exhibition, had community work involved and curation. Having worked with participatory arts for a number of years I was keen to get involved with something that could challenge my comfort zone and offer me new experiences that I would not necessarily foresee.

So having taken myself off to the first information session, I decided to sign up for the next session, which was a full day based in Leicester. The session was very informal, the people seemed friendly, I decided to trust my positive visceral feeling and committed to the project. And so far, the enthusiasm has been catching, the other volunteers are willing to offer time (which apparently has become a commodity) and it has inspired me to devote my own energy and time.

Following a couple more training sessions, handling museum items, how items are accessioned into museums & contacting communities & organisations, I was invited to do a more challenging task. This involved meeting up with a student from Manchester, and going out on the streets of Derby and asking (begging?) people to let us take their picture. The aim of the day was to record to clothing identities of the public in 2009. The usual considerations of child and data protection had to be considered, permission forms signed and then the actual photo taken. So three hours of asking people if we could take their photograph while they did their best to run away, because obviously we were trying to sell, convert or scare them! We managed to complete a whole film before the rain set in. The most resistance came from older generations, who refused to be cajoled or flattered into having their image captured, while the 16-25 year old bracket were quite comfortable to pose (a reflection of growing up in a digital age?), overall we were met with bewildered attitudes which seems to follow when faced with something to do with the arts, once beyond that initial suspicion, people generally were comfortable talking to us, even if they didn’t want their picture taken.

I’m looking forward to the other commitments in my life coming to a close, and being unencumbered by the pressure of university life to be able to really concentrate on the streetstyle/sportstyle project. The training has been interesting and inspiring, the future training leaves me feeling excited and it has initiated some humourous reflections on the teenage years of my friends!

Museums Involved

2009-01-02T14:23:00.000Z

Press Release

2008-06-17T12:11:00.005+01:00

August 2009

FASHION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

On Monday 24^th August ‘Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 1989/2009’ presents a spectacle of style in a Fashion Night at The Richard Attenborough Centre, University of Leicester, as part of an exhibition and series of events linked to the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

The exhibition at the Centre, ‘Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 1989/2009’, was created by Renaissance East Midlands and has been displaying clothes worn by people in the East Midlands in 1989 and the present day.

In July Leicester hosted the 2009 Special Olympics GB for athletes with learning disabilities, exactly 20 years since it last hosted the event. ‘Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 1989/2009’ celebrates the two years and takes a look at local people’s clothing choices then and now.

At the Fashion Night (6-9pm), stylish visitors can have their photos taken in their favourite outfits and become part of a local archive of clothing of 2009; take part in a fashion swap shop – bring in their old but fabulous clothes and swap them for someone else’s gently-worn treasures.

Fashion theorists Sophie Ward (Nottingham Trent University) and Tim Edwards (University of Leicester) will host a debate on the subject of ‘Is Streetstyle ‘real’ fashion?’ (6-7pm).

Visitors can also explore the exhibition in the quiet of the evening, as well as enjoy the Streetstyle Fashion Show, showcasing exciting local street fashion labels. (7-8pm) in the comfortable surroundings of the Arts Bar.

Also on offer will be fashion film shows and hands-on fashion workshops, as well as a series of Saturday ‘Fashion Days’ on 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th August (10am-4pm), with free workshops for young people.

The exhibition ‘Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 1989/2009’ runs at The Richard Attenborough Centre, Lancaster Road, Leicester, until 29^th August, 10am-6pm Mondays-Fridays and 10am-4pm on Saturdays.

Admission is free to the exhibition and to most events. For more details, including classes that are charged, please contact The Richard Attenborough Centre, tel 0116 252 2455, or the exhibition curator Ruth Singer, email contact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk, or see websites: www.streetstylesportstyle.org.uk and www.le.ac.uk/racentre

Notes to Editors: For more information on this please contact Ruth Singer, curator, Streetstyle Sportstyle, email contact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk

For information on the work of The Richard Attenborough Centre please contact Gillian Garrett, Marketing Officer, Richard Attenborough Centre, tel 07973 188898 or email arts-centre@le.ac.uk.

July 2009

EXHIBITION AND COMMUNITY EVENTS TO CELEBRATE SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Exhibition at The Richard Attenborough Centre at the University of Leicester to coincide with the East Midlands cultural programme for the 2012 Olympic Games OpenWeekend on 24th July, with special events on Saturday 25th July.

On Saturday 18th July at 12 noon the Lord Mayor of Leicester Councillor Gary Hunt will launch a new exhibition with associated community activities at The Richard Attenborough Centre, the University of Leicester arts centre.

Leicester is to host the 2009 Special Olympics GB for athletes with learning disabilities in July, exactly 20 years since it last hosted the event. Created by Renaissance East Midlands, the exhibition ‘Streetstyle Sportstyle Then & Now89/09’ is a display of clothes worn by people in the East Midlands in 1989 and the present day.
The exhibition at The Richard Attenborough Centre will open with a Community OpenDay on Saturday 18th July and will run until Saturday 29th August. The launch will include guided tours, a felt-making workshop for all ages, an African headwrap demonstration and sari-draping demonstrations.

Visitors themselves can become part of the exhibition by being photographed in their own clothes on Saturdays throughout the exhibition period at The Richard Attenborough Centre. Other events to take place will include talks and workshops in art, crafts, fashion, poetry and for adults with learning disabilities, as well as a Sportstyle Day to celebrate the opening of the Special Olympics and a‘Celebrate Carnival Day’ to coincide with the Leicester Carnival on 1st August.

Curator Ruth Singer commented: “The exhibition is unique because it reflects the clothes worn by real local people in 1989 and 2009. It is part of the London 2012 Olympics cultural programme and is taking place here in Leicester because we are hosting the 2009 Special Olympics GB for athletes with learning difficulties. The last time the Special Olympics were here was in 1989.“The two dates give us an opportunity to explore the way people express their identity through clothes today and a generation ago, in 1989. Eighties fashion is back in a big way, so it’s fascinating to see the excitement and interest of young people about what people wore 20 years ago.”

Director of The Richard Attenborough Centre, Louisa Milburn, added: “We are delighted to be hosting this fascinating exhibition, working in partnership with Renaissance East Midlands and the local community to celebrate the return of theSpecial Olympics.”

‘Streetstyle Sportstyle Then & Now89/09’ will run from Saturday 18th July until Saturday 29th August at The Richard Attenborough Centre, Lancaster Road, Leicester. The exhibition will be open to the public between the hours of 10am-6pm, Mondays –Fridays; and 10am and 4pm on Saturdays. It is free of charge. For full details of all events, including costs on the few occasions when these apply, see the website: www.le.ac.uk/racentre/ or on http://www.streetstylesportstyle.org.uk/

Notes to Editors: There will be opportunities for press photographs and interview sat The Richard Attenborough Centre during the private showing on Friday 17th July,6-8pm, and the community launch on Saturday 18th July, 11am-4pm. The Lord Mayor will be launching the exhibition at 12 noon on 18th July.

For more information on this please contact Ruth Singer, curator, Street StyleSports Style, emailmailto:emailcontact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk, tel 07599 826 569.

For information on the work of The Richard Attenborough Centre please contact Gillian Garrett, Marketing Officer, Richard Attenborough Centre, tel 07973 188898 or email arts-centre@le.ac.uk

ENDS

May 2009

What were you wearing in 1989?
What are you wearing in 2009?
What do our clothes say about us and our world?

Streetstyle, Sportstyle 89/09 explores what people in the East Midlands were wearing in 1989 and what they choose to wear in 2009.

The exhibition will include everyday and sports clothes and shoes loaned by local people as well as designer and high street clothes preserved by museums around the East Midlands. Photographs and films will show how different communities dress, where we buy clothes, how subcultures have grown and changed their style, how sportswear has become commonplace in the last 20 years, how much music influences fashion and how the diverse communities of the East Midlands all express their identity through what they wear. The project celebrates the Special Olympics taking place in Leicester this year and looks back to the last year they were here – 1989.

Where: The Richard Attenborough Centre, University of Leicester, Lancaster Rd, Leicester LE1 7HA

When: 18 July – 29 August 2009, Monday – Friday 10-6, Saturdays 10-4
Closed Sundays.

Admission free to exhibition and most events. Some classes are charged, please check details of each entry.
www.le.ac.uk/racentre
www.streetstylesportstyle.org.uk
0116 252 2455
contact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk

Extensive events programme during the exhibition period. More details will be sent shortly.

Contact
Ruth Singer, Project Leader
contact@streetstylesportstyle.org.uk
07599 826569

Notes for editors

Images available on request

The exhibition is part of a project led by Renaissance East Midlands museums partnership with support from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council. The project forms part of the East Midlands’ Igniting Ambition programme 2009 to accompany the staging of Special Olympics GB - 8th National Summer Games - Leicester 2009.

In partnership with
• Leicester City Council Arts and Museums Servive
• Nottingham City Council - Museums & Galleries Service
• Northampton Museums
• Lincolnshire Museums
• The Richard Attenborough Centre
• MACE Media Archive for Central England
• Derby Museums and Art Gallery

Bring back 80s fashion

2008-06-16T16:23:00.000+01:00

Article by Sima Patel

Big hair, big jewellery, big shoulders - the 80s were fabulous!

The fashion was killer and the American soaps were mad. God, I wish I’d been a teenager in the 80s!

What girl wouldn’t want to swap the tie dye T-shirts and crochet dresses (what were those about?) of the 90s, for 80s classics like tiny bolero jackets and high-top Nikes?

That’s why I was so pleased when one of my fave items ever, the short puffball skirt of 1989, was revived again for the noughties. God bless All Saints and Topshop!

Le pouf

The puffball skirt was created by Christian Lacroix when his couture house launched in the late 1980s. Using some kind of sewing-magic, the hem of the puffball skirt is doubled up on itself to create a round shape and lots of volume. Lacroix used ‘le pouf’ in different ways on long skirts, short skirts, and one design that even had a puffball on the front!

The puffball shape doesn’t suit everyone, but paired with the right top, a short puffball skirt and killer stilettos make for a striking silhouette.

Do you have an original puffball skirt from 1989? Maybe the dress you wore to a school dance had a puffball skirt…

If you have, we want to borrow it for the Streetstyle Sportstyle Then and Now 1989/2009 exhibition. In fact, the organisers of the exhibition are looking for all sorts of clothes and memorabilia from 1989 from people of all backgrounds who live in the East Midlands.

Exhibition information

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The exhibition takes place at the Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester University
18 July - 29 August 2009. Monday to Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-4. Admission free

The Richard Attenborough Centre
University of Leicester
Lancaster Road
Leicester LE1 7HA

(0116) 252 2455

Minicom:(0116) 223 1520

arts-centre@le.ac.uk