A new exhibit at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries tells the history of clothing, but not through fads like hoop skirts and bell bottoms. Instead, the display outlines the technology, economics and cultural changes that have led to today’s conveniences and consequences of “fast fashion.”
“From Farms to Fast Fashion: Unraveling the Need for Sustainable Style” weaves together the complicated history of fashion and clothing production from the days of spinning cotton into cloth and hand-sewing at home to today’s consumerism that often values novelty over durability and craftsmanship.
Alongside dresses, photographs, and fashion magazines from different eras, the display includes tools of the trade, from 19th century spinning frames, looms, and mending kits to the synthetic fibers and machinery of the past 50 years. An interactive area inside the display considers possible futures for sustainable fashion with modular clothing from Atlanta-based designer and UGA alum Pamela Morris James.
The exhibit opens February 6. Associated events include a curator talk with fashion historian Sara Idacavage on March 20 and a Family Day featuring hands-on activities for kids on March 29.
“From Farms to Fast Fashion” will remain on display through July in the Special Collections Libraries Building, which is on the University of Georgia campus in Athens and is open to visitors for free on weekdays.
For more information or to schedule a tour, visit libs.uga.edu/scl.