Lives of an 18th Century Man’s Coat with Paola di Trocchio

In the 18th century, clothing was an incredibly valuable form of currency traded across classes at second hand markets. This lecture will chart the transformations of a figured silk coat in the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection which was remade into a circa 1800 coat from a circa 1785 style. Other remakes in the NGV collection, and the clothing trade, provide a study of material culture, self-representation, textiles and dress in the 18th century.

Paola Di Trocchio is a leading fashion curator, writer, and speaker. In her twenty-year career at the National Gallery of Victoria, she curated and co-curated twenty-two fashion and textiles exhibitions including Edward Steichen and Art Deco Fashion, The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift, 200 Years of Australian Fashion, Guo Pei among others. She was co-ordinating co-curator for The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier from the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. She is working freelance on several projects.