Learning Conversation panel
Dark Fashion: The Burtonesque and the Gothic in Design
Join designer Dilara Findikoglu, writer Tish Weinstock and Professor and author Catherine Spooner in a conversation exploring the semiotics of contemporary Gothic culture and its manifestations in fashion design.
Inspired by our current exhibition The World of Tim Burton, this conversation panel will explore Burton's influence in contemporary fashion and culture, from catwalks to street fashion, and how it continues to shape identities through the Goth and the Burtonesque style.
The event will be hosted by the Design Museum's Head of Curatorial and Interpretation, Lucia Floriana Savi, and Assistant Curator Hadeel Eltayeb.
Dark monochrome, historical inspiration, soft horror, black leather, dark armour – modern conceptions of Gothic have informed the aesthetics of Burtonesque from the beginning. Burton’s characters have inspired cosplay artists, fashion designers, artists and fans worldwide, highlighting the beauty in abjection, ghoulish and otherworldly looks.
This event welcomes fashion design and history students, practitioners and enthusiasts, Tim Burton fans, Gothic fashion devotees, and anyone interested in fashion.
Speakers
Catherine is Professor of Literature and Culture at Lancaster University, where she specialises in Gothic literature, fashion and popular culture. She is the author of 'Fashioning Gothic Bodies', 'Contemporary Gothic', and the award-winning 'Post-Millennial Gothic'. She has also co-edited four books, including 'The Cambridge History of the Gothic Volume 3: The Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries'. She is currently writing a history of the white dress in Gothic fiction.
Dilara is a womenswear designer based in London. She is an influential voice steering together subcultural elements with commentaries on feminism, spirituality and social issues. Her strongly iconoclastic viewpoint is informed by her upbringing in Istanbul, blending artisan traditions and techniques with a punk mentality executed with the highest attention to quality, detail and couture sensibility. Dilara’s recognisable perspective on luxury fashion gained her critical acclaim and a nomination for the LMVH Prize 2017.
Hadeel is a curator, writer and oral historian who focuses on identity and cultural production. She is currently Assistant Curator at the Design Museum and has worked on exhibitions including 'Skateboard' and 'The World of Tim Burton'. She has recently contributed writing to 'Tim Burton: Designing Worlds', 'Journal Safar' and 'ICON Middle East'. She is currently researching solidarity encounters in Sudan’s Modern Art scene via graphic illustration supported by Tate, the Paul Mellon Centre and the British Art Network.
Lucia is a curator, historian and writer. She is Head of Curatorial and Interpretation at the Design Museum, London where she is co-curating the upcoming retrospective exhibition on Wes Anderson and co-editing the accompanying catalogue. In 2021 she curated the V&A exhibition Bags: Inside Out and authored its accompanying publication. Dr Savi has a PhD from Kingston University, UK, on Italian fashion and textiles. She has contributed to fashion and design exhibitions and their catalogues.
Tish is a writer, editor & consultant specialising in beauty’s intersection with fashion, lifestyle and pop culture. She is a Contributing Beauty Editor at British Vogue. She has worked at style bibles such as i-D, Dazed and System Magazine where she joined as Beauty Director to launch its sister title System Beauty. Tish released her first book about gothic style and beauty, 'How To Be a Goth: Notes on Undead Style', in 2024,
Book online
Adult: £12
Concession: £11
Members*: £10
*Please note that this benefit applies only to the cardholding Member’s ticket and not to those of additional guests.
• Pre-booking is required
• Hearing Loop is available
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• If you require BSL interpretation, please book your ticket up to four weeks before the event date and indicate your request in the booking form
Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Visit our terms & conditions page for further information.
Visit this page for further Access information.
Related exhibition
Background image: The World of Tim Burton exhibition; photo by Rob Harris for the Design Museum.
Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know about new exhibitions, events, courses, access tours and more.