Exhibition: Catwalk to Cover

Freja Beha Erichsen modelling for Chanel, A/W 2010, by Kirstin Sinclair. Photo courtesy of Expressions Whirinaki Arts and Entertainment Centre

26 November 2016 – 12 February 2017

This summer  Expressions Whirinaki in Upper Hutt hosts Catwalk to Cover, an exhibition developed and toured by the Fashion & Textile Museum in London.

Through a series of candid photographs from top catwalk photographers – Kirstin Sinclair, Chris Moore, Matt Lever and Philp Meech – and clothes by leading national and international designers, Catwalk to Cover provides a behind the scenes insight into the creative world of the fashion show. Covering the backstage to front row, catwalk and street style, and including designers such as Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld, and Alexander McQueen this exhibition puts the spotlight on the catwalk.

The exhibition has been augmented with garments from Te Papa’s fashion collection, including designs shown on the catwalk at London, Australian and New Zealand fashion weeks, plus gowns by Gianni Versace, a designer renowned for his high energy runway shows and credited with creating the supermodel phenomenon of the 1980s and ’90s.

Claire Regnault, Senior Curator of History at Te Papa, and a CTANZ member, will  present a floor talk on Sunday 27 November at 1pm. Focusing on the garments from Te Papa’s collections,  she will discuss New Zealand’s ‘fashion moment’ at the turn of the century, including the rise of Fashion Week and the fashion exhibition.

Silk evening dress by Gianni Versace, 1994. Gift of Gianni Versace S.p.A., Italy, 2001. Te Papa (GH013643)

This exhibition is coming to New Zealand from The Fashion and Textile Museum, London: a cutting edge centre for contemporary fashion.

This exhibition is proudly supported by Forsyth Barr and with funding from the Wellington Regional Amenities Fund.