Fashion museology – beginnings and challenges in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia

Muzeji, odnosno njihovi izložbeni koncepti, od pedesetih godina dvadesetog stoljeća nadalje intenzivnije se počinju baviti fenomenom mode. U njihovoj prezentaciji naglasak je na kronološkom pregledu i ubrzanom ritmu promjene odjevne siluete, a predstavljeni artefakti su prije svega memorijski zapisi povlaštenog društvenog staleža. Prostor Slovenije, Hrvatske i Srbije ne zaostaje za ostatkom svijeta bilježeći izložbene aktivnosti i koncepte koji valoriziraju i preispituju odjevnu kulturu i modu unutar prostornih i vremenskih odrednica. Muzealizacija mode osamdesetih godina dvadesetog stoljeća područje je sve većeg interesa znanstvene i stručne zajednice. Pojedini muzeji etabliraju se isključivo kao modni dok ostali pridaju značajnu pažnju modnim zbirkama nadopunjujući ih otkupljivanjem povijesnih i suvremenih modnih artefakata. U istraživanju muzejskih artefakata potencirala se interdisciplinarnost dok su izložbeni koncepti nastojali udovoljiti komercijalnim, potrošačkim ali i muzeografskim smjernicama muzeja. No, za razliku od ostatka svijeta, teorijske i izložbene aktivnosti na prostoru Slovenije, Hrvatske i Srbije osamdesetih godina dvadesetog stoljeća nisu zahvaćene istim intenzitetom preispitivanja područja muzealizacije mode. Zbirna znanstvena knjiga pruža uvid u pitanje muzealizacije mode različititih kustoskih praksi na prostoru Slovenije, Hrvatske i Srbije, ukazuje na potencijal i stvarne mogućnosti te razvija znanstveni diskurs s intencijom povezivanja međunarodne suradnje te poboljšanja obrazovanja i prakse u području muzealizacije mode.From the 1950s onward, fashion phenomena staged as museum exhibits have become increasingly present. The emphasis in these exhibitions was usually placed on chronological overview and fast-paced changes of the silhouette, while exhibited artifacts were predominantly historical records of privileged social classes. Museums in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia did not fall behind in this practice. The following decades saw museum exhibitions and concepts which questioned and valorized dress culture and fashion with regard to time and space of their origin. However, the 1980s marked a sharp turn in common practices regarding fashion museology. Certain museums started specializing as solely fashion museums, whereas others started enriching their fashion collections by purchasing historical and contemporary fashion artifacts. The research of museum artifacts indicated the need for an interdisciplinary approach; exhibition concepts were developed with the attempt to comply with commercial, consumerist and museological requirements. Unfortunately, exhibition activities of the museums in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia did not keep up with the trends and the rest of the world in 1980s regarding fashion museology. What are the reasons behind this and what are the prospects? We wish to address these questions at international interdisciplinary scientific symposium. Our aim is to encourage systematic research of fashion museology in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia throughout history by presenting theoretical approaches and valorizing examples of good practice. We wish to point to the potential and viability of such projects and set the ground for the development of scientifi c discourse, with the intention of establishing international cooperation, advancing education and supporting good practice