My latest exhibition is what I'd like to call a rapid response show. One that was created on a very short timeline in response to what's happening in the world.
#formalfriday became a whimsical trend in New Zealand during #lockdown2020 in our response to the Covid-19 global pandemic.
We've heard it before, we went into lock down, we were forced to work from home, we socially distanced, we shrunk our people bubble and starting living in our comfy gear. Whether this was active wear, nonstop wear of trackpants or refusing to put on "real clothes".
In effort to break up the mundane, New Zealand moved from casual Fridays at the office to #formalfridays at home, all championed by our very own @hilary.barry!
Wearing formal wear on Fridays uplifted our spirits, forced us to look in our closets for our best gladrags and made Fridays on zoom something to look forward to.
The movement of #formalfriday went viral, with up to 40,000 hashtags on Instagram.
At Te Awamutu Museum we chose to harness this energy to ignite our own textile collection by creating a show that spans from the 1830s until today, and what formal Friday has meant to different people over time.
Watch my video below for my talk on the different elements and garments featured in the exhibition:
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