Westminster Menswear Archive hosts launch of Locating Menswear special issue
- Jul 30
- 1 min read
The Westminster Menswear Archive hosted a launch on Wednesday 22 July 2026 for a special double issue of Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion developed through the Locating Menswear research network.
Edited by Professor Andrew Groves, Director of the Westminster Menswear Archive, and Jo Jenkinson of Manchester Metropolitan University, the publication brings together research generated through the AHRC-funded network. Established in 2022, Locating Menswear connected academics, curators, brands, retailers, and community participants to address the historical neglect of menswear within fashion scholarship.
The special issue includes academic articles, photographic essays, shorter reflections and spoken-word texts exploring subjects including football casual culture, ageing and dress, second-hand clothing, Black British design, regional identity, and the cultural significance of brands including Berghaus, C.P. Company and Fred Perry. The contributions developed from workshops held in London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Italy, followed by a two-day public forum in Manchester and Liverpool in 2024.
Many of the issue’s contributors attended the launch at the Archive. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on how the network had influenced their subsequent research and professional practice, while also considering the questions and collaborations that have emerged since the original project.
The discussion concluded by looking ahead to Locating Menswear 2, the next phase of the network. This will extend the project’s international relationships and examine how access to industry, institutional and personal archives might generate new ways of researching and understanding menswear.
The special issue is published as Volume 12, Numbers 1 and 2 of Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion.
