Tansy Hoskins

‘Feminism has hit the catwalks. In a world marred by unequal pay, violence against women, everyday sexism, and now Donald Trump, is the fashion industry friend or foe?’ – Tansy Hoskins

As millions of women around the world join women’s marches, call for equal rights, and raise their voices over #MeToo and #TimesUp, does the fashion industry have a responsibility to speak out? Or are fashion corporations just selling us back our ideas, repackaging them with enormous price tags?

And what about behind the scenes of the fashion industry? Can fashion ever really be feminist when it is an industry built on the exploitation of women in the Global South? With garment factories collapsing and garment workers imprisoned for asking for higher wages, is the fashion industry beyond redemption?

February 2018 is the 100^th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act which marks the first milestone in the journey of women’s suffrage, the right to vote in political elections.

To mark the year National Museums NI will be highlighting the women in our collections through exhibitions and events.