Decoded: reimagining Sue Clowes: a student-led fashion publication exploring material histories through styling, photography and editorial design

Abstract

Decoded: Reimagining Sue Clowes is a student-led fashion magazine created by second-year BA Fashion Design students at Winchester School of Art. Produced in collaboration with The Winchester Gallery and launched alongside the exhibition Collecting Sue Clowes: 1980s Fashion and Textile Design, the magazine explores how archival research can inspire contemporary fashion design.

Through styling, creative direction, photography, and editorial writing, students reinterpreted garments from the archive of collector Mikey Bean, reimagining the rebellious spirit of the 1980s through a modern lens.

Every aspect of the publication from concept development to final design was created by students in collaboration with staff. The project was supported by:
•Shaun Cole (curator and contextual advisor)
•Perry Wong (creative direction support)
•Dave Gibbons (technical photography support)
•Matthew Coats (editor and project lead)

Decoded launched publicly at the exhibition opening on 6 December 2024 and was exhibited in the West Side Foyer. It represents a hybrid creative research and knowledge exchange output between students, academic staff, and archival partners.

This project also featured in an episode of the WSA Exchange podcast, exploring the design process, archival reinterpretation, and pedagogical insights.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Matthew Coats: orcid.org/0009-0000-4730-1722

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