INITIAL DIAGNOSIS OF ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH TEXTILES, CLOTHES, AND FASHION ACCESSORIES UNDERTAKEN BY POLISH MUSEUMS

Abstract

Coinciding with a lively topical debate on the presence of textiles, fabrics, clothes, and fashion accessories in museum collections and activities, the paper aims at showing a wide range of projects and initiatives undertaken in recent years by Polish museums. The presented analyses and conclusions are based on the results of the national survey on museum operations in 2019–2021 conducted by the paper’s Authors jointly with the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections in the first quarter of 2022, and allowing to review this phenomenon nationally. The survey’s goal was to consider various formats of the presence of such objects and references to them in museums, both those of a more traditional character (e.g., including fashion-related exhibits in the museum collection, their conservation, studying, displaying in exhibitions), as well as of a newer character (e.g., cooperation with clothing companies and fashion designers, holding fashion shows, workshops, and fashion-related contests).