It’s a bit difficult to engage with the material world at the moment, but don’t despair, there are a few things you can check out online.
Beginning with buttons: the treat that is the biennial button exhibition at Auckland’s Masterworks Gallery. The opening was stymied by lockdown, but the catalogue is available online. Nearly 200 beautiful buttons to admire or covet.
Most urgently, the Selvedge World Fair is on this week, with talks of particular interest to Aotearoa New Zealand on the morning of 4 September. This converts to around 11am NZ time, but ticketholders will be able to access talks as podcasts as well.
This is Around the world in 24 hours, aka Create Day,a 24-hour programme of talks, Q&As, film screenings, artisan interviews, studio visits which will be live-streamed from New Zealand, Hong Kong, Egypt, India, Azerbaijan, England, Mexico, and Canada. Listen to experts share their textile knowledge as the virtual microphone is passed from country to country throughout the day. Each satellite host will curate a two hour slot that explores the indigenous textiles produced in that region through talks, Q&A sessions, artisan interviews, studio visits and film screenings.
One of the subjects to be discussed will be Otago Museum’s Fashion Forward exhibition, which is now offering an online tour ( you may need to update or vary your browser to view).
Enjoy.