Westminster Menswear Archive: Preserving Menswear History and Advancing Fashion Research
Founded in 2016, the Westminster Menswear Archive is a leading collection of garments and artefacts, dedicated to advancing the study of menswear design. With a focus on technical and functional aspects, the archive informs contemporary menswear design and serves as a vital resource for students, researchers, and designers.
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Our collection spans over 250 years, featuring garments from renowned designers like A-COLD-WALL*, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, C.P. Company, Issey Miyake, Prada, Stone Island, and Vivienne Westwood. The archive also houses significant utilitarian and uniform garments from the British Army, Royal Air Force, London Underground, and more.
Visit the Archive
The Westminster Menswear Archive is open by appointment to students, researchers, and industry professionals. Explore our extensive collection of over 3,000 garments, ranging from iconic designer pieces to rare examples of utilitarian and military clothing. Visits offer unique hands-on opportunities to examine garments up close, providing insight into design, construction, and innovation in menswear.
MASSIMO OSTI STUDIO
Since 2022, the Westminster Menswear Archive has been documenting the development of the Massimo Osti Studio. As part of this documentation, a sample of each production garment produced in the first year of the Massimo Osti Studio will be accessioned into the Westminster Menswear Archive.​
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Following initial discussions between Lorenzo Osti and Professor Andrew Groves in March 2022, the Westminster Menswear Archive has been documenting the development of the Massimo Osti Studio and providing both historical and contemporary contextual research in relation to their activities.​
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Traditionally, fashion museums normally only accession garments into their collections years after their date of production, so that their aesthetic, societal or critical value has already been established. However, as the processes of design, production, and consumption have radically changed in the last decade with the emergence of direct to consumer consumption and the rise of limited edition drops, this approach can mean that collections are unable to document the relationship of these processes to the final garments that are produced.
DONATIONS
Dr Samuel Ross Donation
PADDED POCKET RIBBED GILET
A-COLD-WALL*
A/W 2019
Black nylon gilet with a quilted and ribbed turtleneck and three padded nylon pockets. The gilet's front is composed primarily of padded and quilted nylon, with black rib panels on the upper right and lower left sides. Front centre zip closure in black, with a 6-inch placket covering the top of the closure. On the pocket's front is a white ACW* bracket logo printed sideways. Another attached pocket with a zip opening is located on the lower right side. The gilet's back is composed primarily of rib, with a panel of padded and quilted nylon on the left side, extending from the centre back to the outside edge and down to the upper waist. Attached to the lower back is a large asymmetrical bellow pocket with a large flap closure and an ACW* bracket logo printed in white on the pocket front. From the AW2019 collection, "BIRTH.ORGAN.SYNTH."
100% Nylon
Archive No. 2022.99.2
Donated by Dr Samuel Ross
“Menswear is the fastest growing sector in fashion, yet its history is in danger of being unwritten, with most fashion museums and collections focused solely on womenswear. The Westminster Menswear Archive is a pioneering institution, both for its world-class conservation and its commitment to telling the true story of menswear: it's past, present and future.”
Charlie Porter