Located in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, the Costume Museum of Canada boasts a collection that includes 35,000 artifacts spanning 400 years.

This Saturday, Sept. 19, the museum will host Nature is the New Black, a fashion show featuring 11 local designers.

“The designers can interpret this theme in any way they wish to, so there will be some who focus on using natural fibres and others who will take an environmental approach,” said Jennifer Smith, events co-ordinator at the museum.

The participating designers range in age from 16 to 35. Many of them are showing pieces in this forum for the first time. Some will be showing a few pieces and some of them will be showing an entire collection.

“I love the diversity of the designers and am awed by their sewing talents,” Smith said.

The theme of Nature is the New Black is paired with the current exhibit at the museum, titled Mother Nature’s Fibres.

“There will be DIY stations where people can make things out of natural fibres,” Smith said.

She added that the decision to go with a natural fibres exhibit and accompanying fashion show is important because it is a fun and creative way for people to learn to re-consider what they are wearing, how long they wear it for and what they do with it afterwards.
We live in a consumer-based society that has little respect for textiles, Smith said.

“I myself am guilty of leaving my clothes on my bedroom floor and not wearing half the things in my closet. If we think back to just over 100 years ago, textiles were difficult to produce, expensive to purchase, and once textiles were acquired, they still had to be made by hand into clothing. People had to wear everything they had until it wasn’t wearable anymore.”

Taking a more environmental approach to fashion allows designers to respect textiles and the work that went into creating a garment in the first place.

“Saying that something isn’t in style anymore doesn’t mean that it can’t still be of use.”

Nature is the New Black will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 109 Pacific Ave. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8. DJ Co-Op will spin throughout the night. Tickets are $17-$20 and can be purchased by going to the museum or by calling 989-0072.

Published in Volume 64, Number 3 of The Uniter (September 17, 2009)