A community focused exhibition, developed with the support of residents from the Whitehaven area, has opened at The Beacon Museum, Whitehaven.
Fabric to Fashion will be held in the Light and Dark Gallery until 5 January 2025.
Many of the objects in the exhibition have been loaned to the museum by members of the local community who either used to work at Sekers, Millers, Edgards or Kangol or had family members that worked there.
Volunteers have done most of the work pulling this exhibition together with the support of the museum’s team.
Heather Holmes, The Beacon Museum’s Customer and Visitor Experience Manager, said:
“There’s a lot of pride in the work that was done at Sekers and Kangol, for their valuable work during the Second World War and because the workers were able to see their creations on screen at the cinema, in West End plays and adorning the most glamourous models and celebrities of the day.
“Much of the work putting together the Fabric to Fashion exhibition has been done by The Beacon Museum’s team of collections volunteers, who have been heavily involved in all aspects of exhibition planning, from research to community outreach and creating objects to be displayed in the exhibition.
“One of the objects on display will be a two-piece skirt and coat, created by one of the volunteers, inspired by mid-century haute couture fashion houses like Dior and Worth who used Sekers fabrics in their collections.”
Volunteer Emma added:
“Putting together the Fabric to Fashion exhibition has been so rewarding and educational, getting to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes to create an exhibition. The team at the Beacon are great and have really made it easy for me to work with them.”
Fabric to Fashion showcases a region down on its luck from a declining mining sector turned into an epicentre of fashion manufacturing. From the 1930s through to the early 2000s Whitehaven and the surrounding area produced fabrics and clothes that were highly prized across the globe.
The exhibition chronicles the evolution of West Cumbria’s textile industry and the contributions of its residents to industry, wartime efforts, and fashion innovation.
Owned and managed by Cumberland Council, The Beacon Museum is open daily 10am - 4.30pm during school holidays. During term time it is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 4.30pm and Sunday, 11am - 4pm. Closed Monday.
Last admission is 45 minutes prior to closing.
Every first Sunday of every month, they hold a ‘quiet hour’ for the first hour of opening (11am - 12pm).
You can find out more at the museum’s website: https://thebeacon-whitehaven.co.uk/
If you would like to join the Beacon Museum’s team of volunteers, please contact andrew.mccourt@ccumberland.gov.uk