Virtual Symposium: SUNDAY February 21, 2021, 10:30 am-3:30 pm

In conjunction with the exhibition Fashion In/Action: Dressing for Global Unrest, NYU’s Costume Studies program will present a virtual symposium via Zoom, free and accessible to all. The symposium will feature presentations of original research related to the exhibition by the team of curators, as well as keynote speaker fashion designer Korina Emmerich.

Pre-register here: https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lSMWfDsbQaKfU4ey5Lxd0A

Schedule of Events:

Morning Panel - 10:30am - 12pm

Crafting Generation: Gen Z’s Relationship with Fashion- Emily Mushaben

This paper will briefly cover how Generation Z (people born between 1997 - 2012/15) has consciously shifted towards more sustainable fashion consumption efforts by ways of crafting and upcycling, which were heightened during the time of quarantine in 2020. The mandatory stay-at-home restrictions, coupled with this generation's growing interest in making popular fashion trends accessible, has culminated in a resurgence of mending and do-it-yourself projects.

Crisis Clothing: Public Patterns and Community Building in Times of Unrest- Victoria Sperotto

This paper will highlight how the making of clothes and world crises have been connected throughout history. By looking at publicly available patterns during wars, pandemics and other times of unrest, it will explore how fashion and DIY trends help keep people sane, connected and entertained in crisis. 

Armored Against the Virus- Juliana Cirillo 

This paper will explore the concerns over transmission of viruses through clothing in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, and what we have since come to understand about the relationship between viruses, textiles and clothing hygiene. It will consider the fashion industry’s development of antimicrobial and antiviral textiles, and whether these materials are essential to protecting oneself against or whether they provide more of a psychological security.

Legacy and Trajectory of the Luxury Pajama: 1920-2020- Mary Kate Farley

This paper examines the evolution of luxury pajamas over the past century. The establishment of elevated pyjama dressing in the 1920s, mid-century hostess regalia, and modern interpretations catalyzed by pandemic lockdowns will be analyzed. Periodical articles and advertisements will be consulted.  

Ready for Our Close-Up: Sartorial Conventions in the Age of Zoom- Emily Elizabeth Lance

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, public presentation in the private sphere has been made necessary, spurred on by the shift to video conferencing while working and socializing from home. Ready for Our Close-Up: Sartorial Conventions in the Age of Zoom will consider the history of dressing for the frame, while examining its contemporary adaptations and hallmarks such as the incorporation of loungewear and strategic makeup application. 

Cult of Domesticity: The Comforting Nostalgia of Hyper-Femininity- Tessa Laney

The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown have returned to the fore questions around the role of women and domesticity, particularly for working women and mothers.  This paper will consider how these anxieties have been borne out through fashion, with an unexpected resurgence of hyper-feminine silhouettes that recall the traditional aesthetic of the housewife and valorize the domestic goddess as a feminist hero, even while many women struggle with a disproportionate increase in domestic work and childcare.

INTERMISSION - 12pm - 1:30pm

Afternoon Panel - 1:30 - 3:30

Fragile Threads: The Impact of Covid-19 on Garment Factories and Garment Factory Workers in Bangladesh- Anna Marie Tendler

In March 2020, as much of the world retreated into mandatory quarantine, many of the largest global fashion brands either canceled their orders or refused to pay their garment manufacturers in Bangladesh. With 1.2 million workers fired or furloughed and over 2.8 billion dollars lost, Bangladesh’s fragile garment industry faced a full-scale collapse. This paper examines the devastating effects of Covid-19 shutdowns on the garment industry and the garment industry workers in Bangladesh, as well as the role of Western fashion brands in aiding a mounting humanitarian crisis within the readymade garment industry. 

Off Track: How Fashion is Leaving the Runway Behind - Mimi Eltemur

When the coronavirus outbreak hit globally and the world stood still in early 2020, the relentless pace and perpetual wastefulness of the fashion industry became more apparent than ever. This paper will explore the effects of the Covid-19 global pandemic on the fashion industry, particularly in relation to the traditional fashion calendar and the current ‘take-make-waste’ system in place. By expanding on how designers are leveraging digital technologies, as well as how industry leaders are coming together to advocate for conscious improvements to the fashion system as we know it, this paper will emphasize fundamental changes that must be implemented in a post-pandemic era to achieve a more sustainable and progressive future for the fashion industry.  

Palette of Protest: The Recurrence of White in Protest Wear-Stephanie Ray

This paper will explore the use of color in protest wear, particularly the color white. This presentation will examine the historical precedent of white clothing used in protest wear, particularly its use in the suffragist movement and NAACP Silent Protest Parade of the 1910s and its resurgence a hundred years later in New York’s Black Trans Lives Matter March. By exploring the palettes of protest, this paper will emphasize the importance of employing specific hues to strengthen political and social messaging.

Think Pink: Fashion’s Color of Political Protest in 2020- Laine Weber Callahan

As the pivotal 2020 presidential election approached in the US last year, "political pink" became the color of activism for those who demanded change in our political system. This paper will briefly reflect upon three powerful women, Nancy Pelosi, Rihanna, and Kerry Washington, who utilized this "color disruptor" to express solidarity and ultimately lend power to their causes.

The New Normal: Designer Activism During 2020- Leia Pellot

This paper seeks to explore the nuances of fashion activism in 2020. Where fashion and activism are by no means strangers, the events of 2020 have forced the fashion industry to consider a new approach to the business, responding to enlivened consumer awareness and a desire to engage with fashion in a more socially responsible way.

Keynote Presentation by Korina Emmerich
Profiting Off a Pandemic: Fashion’s Response to Social Unrest

Korina Emmerich has built her Brooklyn, NY-based brand, EMME Studio, on the backbone of Expression, Art and Culture, leading the charge to embrace art and design as one and weaving it into her brand story. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, her colorful work is known to reflect her patrilineal Indigenous heritage stemming from The Coast Salish Territory, Puyallup tribe. With a strong focus on social and climate justice while speaking out about industry responsibility and accountability, Emmerich works actively to expose and dismantle systems of oppression and challenge colonial ways of thinking. She serves on the Board of Directors for The Slow Factory Foundation and is a speaker and panelist at sustainable literacy events and global conferences discussing slow fashion, sustainability, dismantling white supremacy, environmental racism, sovereignty, climate and social justice and combating systemic racism. All EMME Studio garments are made giving respect to the life cycle of a garment from creation to biodegradation.