The rustle of a skirt. The jingle of a beaded gown. The click-clack of heels. The squeak of a vinyl jacket. Clothing makes sound once embodied, but sound was always part of the story. From the early moments of factory production to everyday embodiment, clothing constantly requires and creates sound. Sounding Fashion showcases garments and accessories that create noise and reverberate and bring attention back to fashion’s audibility: literally, through materials, and figuratively, through empowerment and protest.
Clothing reverberates in many ways: the echoes of production, where machines and workers transform materials into products; the cacophonous protest, where clothing amplifies voices making change in the world; the resonance of embodied presence and the soundscape that comes with being and moving in clothing; and in performances that create the rhythm of cultures.
Sounding Fashion was created by students in FSAD 6451: Curating Fashion Exhibitions. Theodora Serbanescu-Martin, PhD candidate in Musicology, proposed the exhibit theme and also recorded and produced the live sounds of many garments and accessories on display.
We invite visitors to the digital iteration of the exhibit to explore the sights and sounds of fashion through the “View the Exhibition” tab, or take the 3-D tour.
Curatorial Team:
Chief Curator: Shawkay Ottmann
Assistant Curator: Theodora Serbanescu-Martin
Graphic Design: Minzie Kim and Jenine Hillaire
Garment Preparators: Apurva Pandey and Madelyn Yu
Public Relations: Leah Rosenkranz and Rani Sheth
Logistics: Zeyu Liu and Valerie Chu
Faculty Advisor: Denise N. Green