Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve: Fashion As Activism

A talk by Timothy Roberts (historian and contributing author to Silhouettes).

The way in which we dress, whether it be from accessories to a complete ensemble, or brands and slogans emblazoned, serves not only as a method of protecting and adorning ourselves, but also a way to express our individual style and signal our values and ideals to others. Today, fashion is one way in which individuals can champion causes or raise awareness for social and political issues – veritably wearing their heart on their sleeve. In this discussion, join art historian Timothy Roberts for a discussion on how fashion has been used as a vehicle to drive change, both by high-end fashion designers on the runway and grassroots organisations taking their messages to the streets.

About the speaker

Timothy Roberts is a historian specialising in Australian art heritage, decorative arts, material culture, and LGBTQI+ memory, and is a curatorial contributor to Silhouettes: Fashion in the shadow of HIV/AIDS. He has contributed articles to numerous publications including Australiana and The World of Antiques and Art, and chapters to With Heart and Hand: Art Pottery in Queensland 1900-1950 (2018) and Queer Objects (2019). He is the author of Black and Blue in Brisbane: Boot Co. – A History (2020).

Cost includes a complimentary glass of wine on arrival.

Limited parking available on-site.

Wheelchair accessible.

Image: Timothy Roberts, photograph by Rod Spark