Costume Colloquium III: Past Dress – Future Fashion

Florence,  November 8-11, 2012

Contemporary fashion stylists and costume designers have always looked to the past in search of inspiration for their creations. We often look to the past as an impetus for new ideas, but more often, we reference the past to identify timeless ideas that remain valuable for use in the present and for the future.

Using what criteria and traditions, which sartorial themes and, above all, for what reasons do we feel we are the heirs to any historical period? And how can taking a historical walk through the past offer any clues to today’s ‘fashion’?  How does the search and assessment of one’s cultural identity through past traditions relate to the realities of continual globalization, and, is this a valid means for a cultural dialog?

Participants of Costume Colloquium III: Past Dress–Future Fashion will be able to explore these questions and discuss many other topics by attending stimulating lectures, experiencing actual demonstrations which will illustrate new works and creations, getting a behind-the-scenes tour of exclusive sites which are normally inaccessible to the public.   As it was for Costume Colloquiums I & II, the interdisciplinary academic sessions will be fully complimented by a series of special events which will offer attendees ample time for socializing and networking.