Image of Palais Galliera in Paris courtesy of Paris Musées

For the first Fashioning Theory lecture of the 2018 spring term, the Parsons Paris Fashion Studies program hosted an round table discussion with some of the most prominent fashion curators in Paris, including Hazel Clark, the founder of the MA Design Studies and Fashion Studies programs at Parsons. The panel included Laurent Cotta of the Palais Galleria, Eric Pujalet of the Musée Des Arts Decoratifs, and Aurélie Samuel from the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris.

Image of MAD courtesy of parisinfo.com

The night was spent discussing some of the most pertinent questions within the practices of fashion curation including topics of conservation, national identity, and the constant struggle to establish fashion curation as a valid and worthwhile practice within museum institutions across the globe. Each speaker was able to offer a unique perspective on the industry because of their varied backgrounds and different roles within museums centered in the city of Paris, which all have a unique approach in regards to current day fashion exhibition practices.

Image of Musée Yves Saint Laurent courtesy of Paris Match

The talk ended with Dr. Hazel Clark’s reflection on the current status of the fashion curator within an increasingly complex and expanding world of museums, academic institutions and gallery spaces. Her new book Fashion Curating, co-written with Dr. Annamari Vänskä, expands further on the changing role of the “fashion curator” as well as presenting some of the current day issues within curation practices, such as brand collaboration and commercial funding from the fashion industry.

The Fashioning Theory seminars will continue to run throughout the Spring 2018 semester – for more information on upcoming events, feel free to check out our facebook page.

Written by Ariel Stark

Featured photo by Ariel Stark