Locating 'the Absent Shadow': Exploring Connections and Encounters in British Menswear
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Westminster
Department Name: Westminster Sch of Arts
Abstract
This network is framed by the concerns of the Westminster Menswear Archive (WMA), a unique teaching collection held by the University of Westminster. The collection holds over 2000 menswear garments from 1780 to the present day, primarily focused on post-1940s British men's dress - clothing produced, designed, worn, or retailed in Britain. It includes designer fashion, streetwear, everyday dress, sportswear, workwear, and uniforms. It receives over 800 visitors each year and is utilised for research purposes by students, scholars, and designers in industry. It is modelled on Italian garment archives, particularly the menswear label C.P. Company, founded by designer Massimo Osti. Osti's collection was non-hierarchal, housing military, utilitarian, industrial, and fashion garments together.
The WMA mirrors this approach, directly aiming to overcome the gender and high-fashion biases inherent in most teaching and museum collections of fashion. Menswear, relative to womenswear, is still underexplored in fashion research and exhibitions, despite growing interest in the field exemplified by an increasing number of menswear exhibitions, including Reigning Men (Los Angeles County Museum, 2016), Invisible Men (University of Westminster, 2019) and the forthcoming Dandy Style (Manchester Art Gallery, 2022).
However, scholarship on British menswear has tended to focus on tailoring and tradition; spectacular and dandy style; and London. This network seeks to question these preoccupations by interrogating the fashion practices of the inhabitants of four key cities. Through a series of workshops, the network will bring together academics, curators, designers, retailers, and fashion industry professionals to investigate the links, relationships, and encounters between the local (Liverpool and Manchester), national (London), and international (Milan) menswear industries and communities. These will allow for the development of a framework for expanding to other cities.
Workshop 1
London - Archiving, collecting, and curating British menswear
Tour of the Westminster Menswear Archive. Before the workshop, each participant is invited to engage with the WMA through its online catalogue to select one garment relevant to their research or practice. These will be used as the starting point for discussion of the place of archival collections in researching and creating British menswear.
Workshop 2
Milan - The location of the industrialisation of menswear
Tour of the C.P. Company design studio and archive to examine how it is used to document the company's material culture and the foundation for a research methodology to inform concepts for new menswear outcomes.
Workshop 3
Liverpool - The significance of a port city as a site of cultural exchange
Specialist menswear retailers play an essential role in disseminating new menswear, acting as intermediaries between industry and consumers by curating garments relevant to specific local audiences.
Workshop 4
Manchester - Subculture / Mass Culture: Menswear and Youth Style.
The final workshop will focus on menswear, leisure, and youth cultures, using cross-generational participatory research that invites members of the public to share their narratives of youth style.
The network will innovate in its approach, diversify its collaborative partners, and engage with previously overlooked menswear communities and creators by involving non-academic participants and practitioners, including those outside the fashion industry, and utilising the network's social media platforms for dissemination, feedback, and dialogue. A multidisciplinary approach strengthens the project, with academics from several disciplines such as music, youth studies, fashion design, fashion communication, and history bringing their unique perspectives to light on the network's questions.
The WMA mirrors this approach, directly aiming to overcome the gender and high-fashion biases inherent in most teaching and museum collections of fashion. Menswear, relative to womenswear, is still underexplored in fashion research and exhibitions, despite growing interest in the field exemplified by an increasing number of menswear exhibitions, including Reigning Men (Los Angeles County Museum, 2016), Invisible Men (University of Westminster, 2019) and the forthcoming Dandy Style (Manchester Art Gallery, 2022).
However, scholarship on British menswear has tended to focus on tailoring and tradition; spectacular and dandy style; and London. This network seeks to question these preoccupations by interrogating the fashion practices of the inhabitants of four key cities. Through a series of workshops, the network will bring together academics, curators, designers, retailers, and fashion industry professionals to investigate the links, relationships, and encounters between the local (Liverpool and Manchester), national (London), and international (Milan) menswear industries and communities. These will allow for the development of a framework for expanding to other cities.
Workshop 1
London - Archiving, collecting, and curating British menswear
Tour of the Westminster Menswear Archive. Before the workshop, each participant is invited to engage with the WMA through its online catalogue to select one garment relevant to their research or practice. These will be used as the starting point for discussion of the place of archival collections in researching and creating British menswear.
Workshop 2
Milan - The location of the industrialisation of menswear
Tour of the C.P. Company design studio and archive to examine how it is used to document the company's material culture and the foundation for a research methodology to inform concepts for new menswear outcomes.
Workshop 3
Liverpool - The significance of a port city as a site of cultural exchange
Specialist menswear retailers play an essential role in disseminating new menswear, acting as intermediaries between industry and consumers by curating garments relevant to specific local audiences.
Workshop 4
Manchester - Subculture / Mass Culture: Menswear and Youth Style.
The final workshop will focus on menswear, leisure, and youth cultures, using cross-generational participatory research that invites members of the public to share their narratives of youth style.
The network will innovate in its approach, diversify its collaborative partners, and engage with previously overlooked menswear communities and creators by involving non-academic participants and practitioners, including those outside the fashion industry, and utilising the network's social media platforms for dissemination, feedback, and dialogue. A multidisciplinary approach strengthens the project, with academics from several disciplines such as music, youth studies, fashion design, fashion communication, and history bringing their unique perspectives to light on the network's questions.
Publications
Atkin S
(2023)
Memories of Dress - Recollections of Material Identities
Atkin S
(2023)
Fashion in motion: The Madchester movement (1985-96)
in Critical Studies in Men's Fashion
Groves. A.
(2024)
Umbro 100:Sportswear x Fashion
Owen K
(2024)
Sole-Zine 09: Air Max 95: the Culture of 110's.
Owen K
(2023)
Sole-Zine: Volume 08 - Mad on Adidas
Owen, P
(2022)
Sole-Zine at Art of the Terraces exhibition
Paul Owen
(2024)
Sole_Zine 09 The Block P Issue - The Liverpool Style Protagonists Representing the Culture of '110's'
in Sole_Zine 09 The Block P Issue - The Liverpool Style Protagonists Representing the Culture of '110's'.
| Title | North East Young Dads and Lads: Portrait Youth |
| Description | Collaboration between Jo Jenkinson (Portrait Youth), Dr Laura Way (Following Young Fathers Further), North East Young Dads and Lads and Photographer Adam Johnson. Exhibition of 7 images at The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, 19/11/2024 - 1/6/2025. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Public exhibition in a national gallery. |
| Title | Portrait Youth x Dandy Style |
| Description | Portrait Youth x Dandy Style was an installation, commissioned by Manchester Art Gallery, for inclusion in the exhibition Dandy Style. 44 portraits were on display between 7th October 2022 and 1st May 2023. The research team were Jo Jenkinson (PI), John Earnshaw and Richard Kelly (photography). Portrait Youth is a collaborative project that enables young people to explore identity through the lens of dress. The workshop model is grounded in Erving Goffman's positioning of dress as an identity kit essential to the understanding and communication of self-identity in everyday life. For Dandy Style, Portrait Youth collaborated with a group of LGBTQ+ young people from The Proud Trust. In alignment with the 'Locating Menswear' network aims, the collaboration exposed hidden narratives in menswear research, bringing young trans and non-binary voices to the menswear conversation. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The collaboration produced new insights into what menswear means to young people, how menswear impacts on their identity and the meaning behind the self-styled looks that featured in the exhibition. Menswear has become a contested term as gendered fashion categories are often criticised as outdated or problematic. Yet for the young people in this group menswear was described as affirming and supportive of self-identity. The portraits on display invited audience interaction and provided opportunity to surface the viewpoint of young people who identified as Trans or non-binary, whose unique understanding of menswear would have otherwise been absent in the exhibition. The exhibition had 322,092 visitors over 7 months. The work was also disseminated at the Costume Society of America (CSA) symposium in Salt Lake City, US, in May 2023. Following the US conference, Jenkinson was invited to join an online panel hosted by the CSA which extended the audience further. The work will also feature in the exhibition at the Locating Menswear Forum in July 2024. |
| URL | https://www.portraityouth.com/series-7 |
| Title | Sole-Zine Obsession, Style and Place. |
| Description | Sole-Zine is a poster zine project created by Paul Owen and Kayla Owen, dedicated to researching, documenting, and archiving British Trainer Culture. A sub-culture originally created by the Terrace Casuals movement of the late 70's and early 80's. Today, the sports shoe is a huge part of fashion's multi-million-pound industry, with high end brands moving in on the action. Sole-Zine is an ongoing project that digitally archives artefacts, historical photography, magazine references, interviews, and other ephemera associated with British Trainer Culture. It is intended to demonstrate the impact and significance of trainers. From the craftspeople to the unique seekers and the under-represented sectors born out of this culture.Emphasising this much-loved fashion area gives rise to the tribes and cohesive socio-groups who define and are defined by values and tensions around status, belonging, and the need for individuality. Sole-Zine provides an openly accessible archive of specific cultural and material significance and acts as a living resource and reference point. By initially interviewing craftspeople within the restoration, customisation, and conversion processes and recording the materials, and techniques of the profession, the aim is to preserve the innovation, skill, artisanship, and tradition. This shared dialogue opens new fashion theory and critical debate, on creative practice surrounding fashion and textiles in the light of this ethical and sustainable development naturally evolving within this sub-culture. It also shines a light on a specific under-represented socio-group and a conscious community existing on the periphery of fashion. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Continued research outputs in terms of SoleZine publications. |
| URL | http://www.owenstudio.co.uk |
| Title | Sole-Zine x The Block P: For the love of '110's' |
| Description | Sole_Zine is a poster-magazine dedicated to documenting British Trainer Culture. This exhibition presented printed copies of Volume 09 alongside 3D perspex displays and lightboxes. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | 110 printed copies of SoleZine (volume 09) where given out to members of the sneaker community at the retail space The Block P, 36 Renshaw Street, Liverpool on 6th July 2024 to co-inside with the opening of this in store exhibition. The activity was then covered by the editorial team from Sevenstore, Liverpool and can be found at online: https://www.sevenstore.com/editorial/sole-zine-issue-09-chasing-the-110-with-the-block-p-2024/ |
| URL | http://www.sevenstore.com/editorial/sole-zine-issue-09-chasing-the-110-with-the-block-p-2024/ |
| Title | Through a Lens |
| Description | In October 2021, as part of the British Textiles Biennial, the Italian menswear brand C.P. Company held a retrospective exhibition in Darwen, Lancashire, to commemorate the brand's 50th anniversary. The Westminster Menswear Archive (WMA) curated a companion exhibition that featured a newly commissioned collaboration with the Portrait Youth project, which uses styling and portraiture to document the personal and collective identities of young people. The team for this collaboration were Professor Andrew Groves (WMA), Jo Jenkinson and John Earnshaw (Portrait Youth) and Neil Bedford (Photography). |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The collaboration examined the relationship between menswear, C.P. Company and the lived experience of a group of young men from Blackburn and Darwen, shedding new light on the complexities of dress, identity, and belonging. Self-styled portraits of these young men, taken during a participatory workshop at a local youth centre, were originally displayed at Darwen Library and in Blackburn town centre as part of an exhibition curated by the Westminster Menswear Archive in 2021. They were then displayed at Leeds University in September 2022 and analysed in a conference paper at the Futurescan 5 conference which took place at the same time. |
| URL | https://www.portraityouth.com/series-6 |
| Title | UN_FOLD Magazine in collaboration with 'Art of the Terraces' major exhibition at The Walker Art Gallery Liverpool, National Museums Liverpool. |
| Description | Combining fashion; football; and art as told from the terraces of the stadiums this exhibition is the first major exhibition to tell the story of a movement that defined sports culture of the 1970s; 80s and 90s.; UN_FOLD Magazine is a student centered publication produced under the creative direction of Paul Owen. In this 76 page special edition 'Art of the Terraces' themes of Youth; Style and Identity' were explored and showcased as part of the exhibition. *Special Curators talk with Locating Menswear with Dave Hewitson, Pauline Rushton, Paul Owen and guest Andrew Groves. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | - Ongoing collaborative work with National Museums of Liverpool. https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/identity-ljmu-students-respond-photie-man-50-years-of-tom-wood - Collaboration with Westiminster University and Manchester Metropolitan University https://www.mensweararchive.com/locatingmenswear |
| URL | http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/identity-ljmu-students-respond-photie-man-50-years-of-tom... |
| Title | Umbro 100: Sportswear x Fashion |
| Description | Over the last century, sportswear has evolved from its functional, athletic, and sporting roots to become the daily uniform for billions of people around the world. Founded in 1924, Umbro has been central to this revolution. Today collaborations between sportswear companies and fashion brands are the norm, but Umbro's collaboration with Paul Smith in 2002 marked the beginning of this trend. Since then, Umbro has collaborated with over 60 different designers and brands including Kim Jones, Paul Smith, Vigil Abloh, Peter Saville, Christopher Raeburn, Supreme, Nigel Cabourn, Aitor Throup, Palace and Vetements. In celebration of Umbro's centennial year, the exhibition uses over 120 examples drawn exclusively from the Westminster Menswear Archive to explore how the relationship between sportswear and fashion has evolved. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Enabled us to create a major new collection of over 240 athletic pieces for the Westminster Menswear Archive. The show recontextualised sportswear in a fashion setting and documented the emergence of collaborative collections between sportswear and fashion firms beginning in 2002. |
| URL | https://www.mensweararchive.com/umbro100 |
| Description | We set out to establish a network of researchers, curators, designers, retailers, and manufacturers to investigate the impact of place on British menswear design, manufacturing, and consumption from 1945 to the present. The network included a physical and digital menswear retailer based in Liverpool, a high-end menswear brand from Italy, academics and non-academics from various disciplines, including many with backgrounds in material culture and curation. The most significant achievement of the award was bringing together this diversity of participants' positions, and synthesising academic expertise and experience within the menswear industry. The range of viewpoints facilitated a deeper understanding of the complex processes and interconnections in menswear that require further research. The network activities provided a space for participants to challenge preconceptions of the history and current place of menswear design, production, consumption, and its critical evaluation through material culture. A key finding of the network was the significance of location in shaping and defining notions of fashionable dress in menswear, with variations occurring over relatively short physical distances. This was particularly highlighted by the workshops held in Manchester and Liverpool, which despite being only 35 miles apart, had very clear and very distinct menswear 'dialects'. A second key finding was the importance of retailers as fashion intermediaries. The experience of the retail participants within the network proved how essential these fashion intermediaries are (and have been) in the creation of men's fashion cultures. However, as the production of menswear has become increasingly globalised, and its retailing more digitalised, knowledge of the formation and expression of these nuances has become harder to capture. Third, visiting our Italian menswear partners' design studios in Italy allowed us to witness the initial stages of their new range development, providing our network participants with insight into typically hidden processes. Retail participants were able to observe product development at a much earlier stage than usual, and academics in the network gained a better understanding of the retailers' role and their relationship to manufacturing and design. The openness of the network participants meant that the academics were able to critically analyse and question the industrial partners in ways that would have been impossible otherwise. Later in the network period, this led to key academics within the network providing research services to the company to contextualise their activity within a larger menswear narrative. The majority of the award objectives were met: the network brought together a wide range of participants with an overarching interest in menswear; four site-specific workshops took place in London, Manchester, Liverpool and the north of Italy; gaps in current scholarship and new areas for research were identified; an initial exploration of the complex relationship between British and Italian menswear was initiated; and new methodologies and approaches to the curation, exhibiting, collection and archiving of menswear were developed. The final award objective of exhibiting the outcomes of the network's activities during the timeframe of the award has had to be adjusted due to the changing circumstances of two of our non-academic partners. However, other partners were able to increase their participation enabling the development of a two-day symposium and exhibition programme which will take place in Manchester and Liverpool in July 2024. The research network created by the award has brought together a core group of researchers from the University of Westminster, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Liverpool John Moores University who will build on its findings through future scholarship and bid writing. The two-day forum in July will provide an opportunity to further interrogate the findings of the network to date, extend participation, and move the conversation forward into the next phase of the network. Over 50 academics, industry professionals, and menswear insiders will contribute to a series of academic papers, panel talks, performances, and exhibits. There are associated special editions of Critical Studies in Men's Fashion and a partner's publication. The forum will also be covered by a media partner to ensure the findings are disseminated beyond academia. |
| Exploitation Route | The Westminster Menswear Archive now houses two significant new collections of material culture, which can be studied by academics and industry researchers alike as a result of the network activity. The network has established a successful methodology for key stakeholders in the menswear industry, retail, and academia to generate new knowledge through participatory sessions centred on studying and engaging with this material. Furthermore, the network's outcomes will inform the future curatorial practice of several network members, as well as the exhibitions that they propose in response to network activity and findings. The network will continue beyond the funding period as a supportive community and opportunity for disseminating and germinating research, primarily through the Locating Menswear forum, which we intend to run annually. We have provided models and methodologies that can be adapted and expanded on. The WMA's curatorial practices, the development of material methods, and new creative methodologies that reveal previously unknown stories (such as Portrait Youth), have served as a springboard for both established and emerging researchers. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Retail |
| URL | https://www.mensweararchive.com/locatingmenswear |
| Description | Building on the previous year's achievements, our project established a dynamic network of researchers, curators, designers, retailers, and manufacturers to investigate how place influences British menswear design, production, and consumption from 1945 onwards. Through workshops held in London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Italy, we deepened understanding among diverse stakeholders and emphasised curatorial practices as key to interpreting menswear's cultural significance. Notably, partnerships with industry have enhanced collections such as the Westminster Menswear Archive, enriched public and commercial displays in Liverpool, and informed major exhibitions like Umbro 100. These activities have also enabled inclusive approaches, bringing under-represented perspectives into menswear research and presentation. The 'Locating Menswear' network formally concluded the delivery of its planned activities at the end of July 2024. However, network members have continued to collaborate on new research outputs, including the preparation of a double special issue of the journal Critical Studies in Men's Fashion, scheduled for publication in 2025. This ongoing collaboration demonstrates the enduring impact of the network beyond its original timeline. Emerging Economic and Societal Impact: Locating Menswear Forum in Manchester and Liverpool: In July 2024, a two-day public forum was successfully delivered across Manchester and Liverpool. The event strengthened regional connections, underlining the influence of place in British menswear and reinforcing the network's interdisciplinary and cross-sector approach. Massimo Osti Studio Public Panel Event: The panel event commemorating the launch of the Massimo Osti Studio at Sevenstore in Liverpool provided unique insights into Osti's design legacy, engaging both industry professionals and the wider public, and facilitating greater public understanding of contemporary menswear practices. Sevenstore Partnership with Massimo Osti Studio and C.P. Company: Following network activities that created new relationships between our Italian menswear brand and our Liverpool-based retailer Sevenstore, they expanded their retail offering to include products from Massimo Osti Studio and C.P. Company. This enhanced retail partnership had significant cultural and economic benefits for the regional economy. C.P. Company Magazine Launch: The launch of C.P. Company's Archipelago magazine in Berlin aligned to the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, was supported by the network's curatorial expertise, further extended the cultural reach of the networks participants, engaging international audiences and deepening consumer understanding of menswear heritage. Impact on Public, Private, and Third Sectors: Public Sector (Cultural Institutions): The network's focus on curatorial practices has significantly increased attention to menswear within cultural institutions. Collaborative exhibitions informed by network research have expanded public engagement and diversified narratives around menswear and identity. Private Sector (Retail and Industry): Through partnerships initiated by network activities, retailers such as Sevenstore have successfully diversified their offerings, strategically aligning with consumer demand for culturally significant and heritage-focused menswear. Third Sector (Community Engagement): Public forums and events organised by the network have actively engaged local communities and deepened public appreciation of menswear's cultural significance. Challenges Overcome to Achieve Impact: Engagement Across Diverse Stakeholders: Effectively managing communication and collaboration between diverse stakeholders from academia, retail, industry, and public audiences required the adoption of inclusive, non-hierarchical approaches to ensure productive and equitable participation. Balancing Commercial and Cultural Objectives: Negotiating interests between commercial partners and cultural objectives necessitated open dialogue, mutual respect, and strategic planning to ensure successful, impactful outcomes beneficial to all stakeholders involved. Significant Impact within Academia: The project's interdisciplinary focus has catalysed a significant new area of academic enquiry, resulting in forthcoming publications, notably the double special issue of Critical Studies in Men's Fashion. This highlights the ongoing academic legacy of the network, consolidating menswear studies as a vital interdisciplinary research domain. Conclusion: While the network's planned programme formally ended in July 2024, its collaborative work continues to yield meaningful impact across public, private, and academic sectors. The forthcoming special journal issue exemplifies the project's lasting influence, fostering continued scholarly and societal engagement within the study of menswear. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Retail |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | China Design Museum |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Higher Education Museums, Galleries and Collections Fund |
| Amount | £167,130 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Department | Research England |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 06/2029 |
| Description | Research Activity Grant |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pasold Research Fund |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 03/2023 |