The grant will enable vital research into the Museum’s Collection, uncovering, highlighting and repositioning the stories of Global Majority makers, designers and wearers whose contributions to fashion history have often been overlooked. This work is a key step in Fashion Museum Bath’s transformation journey, as it prepares to reopen in 2030.
Elisabeth Murray, Senior Curator at Fashion Museum Bath, said:
“We are delighted to receive support from the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund. This funding will support vital research into the Fashion Museum Bath’s collection, highlighting and re-positioning the stories of Global Majority makers, designers, and wearers that have long been underrepresented. This work is essential to our ambition to become a place which reflects the breadth of fashion’s histories, and where everyone is represented.”
Central to the project is the Museum’s commitment to being an inclusive and welcoming organisation in which all audiences feel seen and reflected. The research will underpin interpretation for the new Museum, influencing pre-opening programmes, future displays and long-term community partnerships.
Working with Global Majority partners, guest curators, loans and new acquisitions is all part of this approach but we also want to look inwards - revisiting the Collection to uncover stories that have been forgotten or ignored.
The grant will fund a Collections Researcher, who will lead on research into the Collection, begin building partnerships with relevant organisations and community groups, and share findings both internally and more widely.
Through this funding, Fashion Museum Bath aims to tell many and varied stories—acknowledging and celebrating the impact of the Global Majority across all areas of fashion—and to help inspire a more equitable future.
