One summer evening in 2007, fashion, art and history collided on a catwalk at Tate Britain.
The event was Enslaved Fashion. Taking inspiration from the special display 1807: Blake, Slavery and the Radical Mind, a group of young people from University of the Arts London, and Tate Britain’s peer-led young people’s group Tate Forum, created a fashion show to mark the bicentenary of the end of the British slave trade.
Over a period of several weeks, students came to Tate Britain to study the display, and took part in discussions with designers, curators and stylists. They created a collection of garments inspired by the display, which were then modelled at the fashion show on 6 July, as part of Late at Tate Britain.
One of the outfits used microscopic sketches of sugar cane, evoking the work of slaves in the field. Others used torn fabrics to represent the destruction that slavery caused, tearing lives and communities apart.
A major aim of the project was to demystify Tate Britain, and arts institutions in general, to young people who might not otherwise visit the gallery. A packed audience on the night was made up of other students, friends and families of the participants, and the show received a standing ovation.
