Fashion shows

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Since the 1940s, fashion shows have run annually at GSA. These have been designed, planned and run by the students, with garments also designed and modelled by the students. The history of the fashion shows is documented here:

1940s: On the 14th January 1947, students from the Art School and College of Domestic Science came together in aid of Charities Week, to present a mannequin parade of more than 30 specially made outfits. During the early years of the fashion show, local press commented on different styles of garments, from 18th-century dress to modern swimsuits. The extra-curricular nature of early shows is apparent, with students noted as working during the holidays. Reports from the 1952 event mention a student committee charged with organisation. The programme for the coronation themed 1953 show, lists a team comprising convenor, associates, stage director, publicists, treasurer, electricians, compere, graphic designer and mannequins.

1950s – 1960s: Unusual materials and accessories, in particular headwear, commonly feature in shows of the late 1950s and early 1960s. From the mid to late 1960s more wearable and functional garments appear, often displaying geometric patterning and sometimes developed due to industry connections and competitions. During this period the event relocated from GSA's Assembly Hall, to various venues including the Mackintosh Building, with shows in the Lecture Theatre, Mackintosh Room and Museum. Shows were also held at external venues including Culzean Castle and the Scottish Design Centre.

1970s: GSA's Haldane Building became a regular choice for events throughout the 1970s. Large-scale placement prints, embroidered motifs, oversized garments and costumes featured in these shows. From the mid to late 1970s the theme of the fashion shows, decided upon by the organising student cohort (usually from the 3rd Year of a 4-year course of study), directs event design. For the 1977 'Fashion Circus' show, models paraded on a floor of sawdust and a gorilla costume featured. For 1978, the impactful visual identity of the show depicts a silhouette wearing a red carnation; this detail follows through to the programme, ticket and corsage worn by the show's compere. The programmes from this period state that garments can be purchased from students via the relevant department. The Bourdon Building Assembly Hall, now GSA's Library was also used for the event.

1980s: The first known audio-visual recording of the event is from 1982; this and other recordings (1984, 1985 and 1986) show a range of outfits from costumes to more wearable garments. Throughout this period shows appear to engage with topical, social and political themes, through performance-like presentations. The majority of 1980s shows took place in the Assembly Hall, the Students Union, indicating support for the event from GSA's Students Association. Throughout the history of the fashion show the involvement of students from departments across GSA is apparent, particularly when associated with GSA's Activities Week.

1990s: Photographs from the mid -1990s show backdrops, in front of which a mix of outfits are paraded. At this time, textiles at GSA was divided into 'Printed & Knitted' and 'Embroidered & Woven'. During this period design aspects of the show became more integrated into the undergraduate curriculum. By the late 1990s, as build up to Glasgow's year as City of Architecture and Design 1999, there was a shift in the scale of the show and large venues were used around the city. Themed 'Morphogeneis', the 1998 show included 40 collections, with projections of video works by GSA's Interior Design students. In 1999 GSA's textile departments were amalgamated into a single Department of Textiles combining embroidery, weave, print and knit.

2000-2017: At the start of the new millennium, large-scale fashion shows continued, taking place in the Fruitmarket and the Arches. The show moved back to GSA's Assembly Hall in 2004 and the 'boutique' was introduced to raise additional funds. With curriculum change the organisational aspects of the event were integrated into the textile design curriculum. This is still the case today, students work in groups and aspects of the project are delivered by GSA's Careers Services. Recent shows have provided opportunities to work on live projects with external organisations and companies, or with practising designers. The Students' Union, renamed 'The Art School' continues to be used as the venue for the show, although external sites were used during the development of GSA's Reid Building. The introduction of undergraduate fashion design at GSA in 2010 has meant that garments by fashion student are shown alongside those produced by textile students. Themes of recent shows have challenged students to consider the role fashion can play in the perpetuation of cultural stereotypes, explored issues of cultural appreciation and addressed gender neutrality.

In recent years, students have regularly been influenced by the material in the Archives and Collections when producing garments for the GSA fashion show. For the 70th Anniversary fashion show, 21-22 March, 3rd-year fashion and textiles students selected a period between '1947-2017' for inspiration.

Author: Helena Britt

Code

S760

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Fashion shows

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Fashion shows

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Fashion shows

114 Archival description results for Fashion shows

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Student work

  • DC 093/1/1-3 Shift dress, jacket and printed coat made from sackcloth by Elizabeth (Betty) Sinclair (nee Stewart) for the GSA Fashion Shows c1950-52.
  • DC 093/1/4 Coat of woven material, designed and woven by Betty Myerscough in the Weaving Department for her Diploma show in 1954 and included in the 1954 fashion show
  • DC 093/1/5-8 Two dresses, plus one top and skirt made by Judith MacKechnie, 1975
  • DC 093/1/9-11 Two 'Penny Daintee' dresses printed and made by Sheila R McDonald, 1st year Textile Design, in 1977, plus 1 x original design sketch for these dresses
  • DC 093/1/12-16 Outfit comprising: printed beige georgette kimono coat and jodpurs; satin sash; satin strapless sequin top; satin pillbox hat and veil; made by Elizabeth (Lyz) Armstrong in 1979
  • DC 093/1/17-19 Black, white and grey graphic lace print tiered skirt; black 'teddy' cami bodysuit with graphic lace print trim; and a black cotton seer sucker petticoat made by Elizabeth (Lyz) Armstrong in 1978.
  • DC 093/1/20-21 Two items by Mary-Ann Chatterton, to be worn as male skirts, from the 1998 fashion show held at The Tramway, Glasgow. One yellow tulle with yellow lace waistband, red tie around waist and red thread at hem. Label inside waistband band that reads 'Chatterton centre back'. One large woven length of red fabric speckled with white featuring orange half-circle at one side and decorative coarse red thread stitches.

Sinclair, Elizabeth

Robert Stewart photographs including GSA student fashion show, 1952

Contains black & white photocopies and one colour photocopy of photographs of Robert Stewart, 1947-early 1990s, with Liz Arthur's accompanying notes. Includes images of Robert Stewart, D. White, Betty Stewart, Peter Perritt, Margaret Stewart, Sheila McQuistan, Sheila Stewart, John Macfarlane and Jimmy Cosgrove, as well as images of Robert Stewart's flat, Oakfield Ave; GSA student fashion show, 1952; printed textiles student group, 1954; students working on printed textiles, 1966; Robert Stewart receiving gold medal in Munich, 1968; and GSA Activities Week, 1975.

*Not available / given

Robert Stewart graphics

Contains colour reproductions and 29 colour photographs of Robert Stewart's graphic designs, c1948-1979, with Liz Arthur's accompanying notes. Includes images of designs for magazine covers (Colville's House magazine, 1948 and School of Architecture Magazine, 1958); exhibition catalogues (GSA, 1950s and Exhibition of Contemporary Scottish Crafts, 1957); greeting cards (including ones designed for Dovecot); Austin Reed Christmas catalogue, 1950s; Liberty Christmas catalogue, 1959; studio label for SCWS, 1948; GSA fashion show program, 1952; 'Mackintosh and the modern interior' exhibition invitation; posters (the GSA exhibition of embroidery & weaving 1963, the Commonwealth arts festival 1965, GSA activities week 1970s, Farewell dinner for Kath Whyte 1973, GSA fashion show c1973); and GSA degree certificate, 1979. As well as images of design for Schweppes, 1950s; design based on Mackintosh's weathervane on the GSA building, late 1950s; design for Scottish Craft Centre, mid 1950s; Robert Stewart Ceramics publicity 1957 - 63; and work published in Motif 2. (Note : the above dates reflect the year in which the work was done and not the year the photograph was taken.)

*Not available / given

Programme for the Gala Fashion Show

Programme for the Gala Fashion Show by Pringle of Scotland on the 22nd October 1968 at the Savoy Hotel, London. Includes information on the history of Pringle of Scotland, and details information of the designs shown during the fashion show.

Pringle of Scotland Ltd

Press Coverage

  • DC 093/4/1 Picture Post magazine published 7th February 1953, includes an article on the GSA Fashion Show; donated by Eirene Hunter (nee Paton), plus a loose copy of the article donated by Rena Hume.
  • DC 093/4/2 News cutting from 1961, donated by Sheila Bates
  • DC 093/4/3-5 Three press cuttings from 1975, donated by Judith MacKechnie and relating to the donor’s work, see DC 093/1/5-8
  • DC 093/4/6, News cutting from 1977, donated by Sheila R McDonald

*Not available / given

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art Fashion Show entitled 'Follow This Pattern'

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art Fashion Show entitled 'Follow This Pattern'

This poster advertised the 2005 Glasgow School Of Art Fashion show. The event was held in the Mackintosh Lecture Theatre on The Glasgow School Of Art campus with performances running daily from the 1st to the 5th of March. Tickets for the event were priced at £5 with a discounted offer of £3 for concessions.

*Not available / given

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art fashion show

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art fashion show

This poster advertised a Glasgow School Of Art fashion show that ran from the 24th to the 29th April 1978. Tickets for this event were priced at £1 and could be purchased from the registrar's office at The Glasgow School Of Art as well as The Design Centre on St Vincent Street. This particular print is number five of ten editions.

Wilson, Colin

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

This item forms part of a large scale poster advertising The Glasgow School Of Art's 1986 activities week. This portion of the poster advertises a fashion show which was held in the school's Assembly Hall from the 10th to the 15th of March. Tickets were priced at £2.50 with a £1 discount for concessions. Taylor Fergusson hairdressers were responsible for styling the models' hair and the set was designed by the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama.

*Not available / given

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

This item forms part of a large scale poster advertising The Glasgow School Of Art's 1986 activities week. This portion of the poster advertises a fashion show which was held in the school's Assembly Hall from the 10th to the 15th of March. Tickets were priced at £2.50 with a £1 discount for concessions. Taylor Fergusson hairdressers were responsible for styling the model's hair and the set was designed by the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama.

*Not available / given

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

This item is one of nine sections of a large scale poster advertising lectures given by Bob Godfrey and Joe McGrath during The Glasgow School Of Art's annual activities week in 1971. Bob Godfrey is best known for his animated cartoons such as Roobarb and Custard and Henry's Cat. Joe McGrath is a Scottish director famous for his films Casino Royal and The Magic Christian. The entire poster would have been one of many displayed on huge billboards on Renfrew Street to advertise events happening during each of The Glasgow School Of Art's annual activities weeks.

*Not available / given

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

This item forms part of a large scale poster advertising The Glasgow School Of Art's 1986 activities week. This portion of the poster advertises a fashion show which was held in the school's Assembly Hall from the 10th to the 15th of March. Tickets were priced at £2.50 with a £1 discount for concessions. Taylor Fegusson hairdressers were responsible for styling the model's hair and the set was designed by the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama.

*Not available / given

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

Poster for The Glasgow School Of Art activities week

This item forms part of a large scale poster advertising The Glasgow School Of Art's 1986 activities week. This portion of the poster advertises a fashion show which was held in the school's Assembly Hall from the 10th to the 15th of March. Tickets were priced at £2.50 with a £1 discount for concessions. Taylor Fergusson hairdressers were responsible for styling the models' hair and the set was designed by the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama.

*Not available / given

Poster for GSA Fashion Show

Poster for GSA Fashion Show

This is a poster for the 3rd year Textiles Fashion Show held at 7pm and 9pm each night from 8th-9th Mar 2011 . The event was accompanied by a boutique and secret postcard sale with an aftershow party held at the Buff Club. The event was sponsored by Mandors Fabric Store, Buchanan Galleries shopping centre, PRI and Mash amplification. One of the themes of this year's fashion show was the Newbery Tower, which was due for demolition during the School's summer vacation in 2011. The Archives also hold digital images of the secret postcard sale, which involved the selling of postcards created by past and present students on the theme of the Newbery Tower.

Asiedu, Mary

Poster for fashion show 'Celebrating 70 Years Fashion Show 1947-2017', Glasgow

Poster for fashion show 'Celebrating 70 Years Fashion Show 1947-2017', Glasgow

Poster for fashion show 'Celebrating 70 Years Fashion Show 1947-2017', The Art School, Glasgow, 21 Mar 2017-22 Mar 2017. The fashion show in 2017 celebrated 70 years of fashion shows at The Glasgow School of Art, and was held whilst an exhibition of the same name was showing. The image on the poster is from the Archives & Collections.

Not available / given

Poster for 'Exhibition Celebrating 70 Years Fashion Show 1947-2017', Glasgow

Poster for 'Exhibition Celebrating 70 Years Fashion Show 1947-2017', Glasgow

Poster for 'Exhibition Celebrating 70 Years Fashion Show 1947-2017', Reid Building, Glasgow, 21 Mar 2017-22 Mar 2017. The exhibition celebrated 70 years of fashion shows at The Glasgow School of Art, and the fashion show that year was held whilst the exhibition was showing. The images on the poster are from the Archives & Collections.

Not available / given

Pitti Filati Spring 2010

CD containing photographs of textiles and designs at the Pitti Immagine Filati Spring 2010. The items are arranged into several different folders depending on their organisation and placing at the event.

Shaw, Wallace

Pitti Filati Spring 2008

CD containing photographs of textiles and designs at the Pitti Immagine Filati Spring 2008. The items are arranged into several different folders depending on their stand, trend, and area at the event.

Shaw, Wallace

Pitti Filati A/W 09-10

CD containing photographs of textiles and designs at the A/W Pitti Immagine Filati 2009-10. The items are arranged into several different folders depending on their content/brand.

Shaw, Wallace

Photographs of Robert Stewart's works collected by Liz Arthur

Contains 5 black & white photographs of : Robert Stewart climbing a ladder to hang his mobile at the 1952 GSA fashion show, Elizabeth Stewart wearing a hat designed by Robert Stewart for the 1952 GSA fashion show, and Robert Stewart demonstrating the use of procion to Richard Demarco and Romanian artists at Hill House, Loch Striven, 1969. Also contains 79 colour photographs of Robert Stewart's : post diploma show paintings, gouache on paper, 1946-1947; textile designs, late 1940s-early 1950s; Jon Noble, Ardkinglas commission, c1950; embroidered panel worked by Kath Whyte, 1955; designs for Christmas cards done for Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh Tapestry Company, mid 1950s; Robert Stewart Ceramics storage jars and tankards, 1957-1963; graphic designs for Liberty, late 1950s; greetings cards, 1964; ceramic mural for Tappit Hen restaurant, Paisley, 1965; ceramic mural designed for West Dumbartonshire Burgh offices (Robert Stewart in picture), 1965; untitled paintings, procion, grease and gouache on paper, late 1960s; ceramic panels, late 1960s; 'First Sight of Santorini' painting, 1968; ceramic mural for Hebridean & Highlander restaurant, Queen Street Station, Glasgow. (Note : these dates reflect the year in which the work was done and not the year the photograph was taken.) As well as : fireplace designed by Robert Stewart for 5 Clarkston Rd., Busby, for commission by Ian Millen, 1963; Robert Stewart exhibition, Design Centre, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, 1969; Sheila Macfadyn's (nee McQuistan) diploma show textile designs (she was a student of Robert Stewart at GSA 1951-1953); and the Robert Stewart exhibition, Glasgow School of Art, 2003. Most photographs have captions handwritten by Liz Arthur.

*Not available / given

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