| Description | Groves led the project to establish and launch the WMA in 2016, with the purpose of redressing the historical omission
of menswear in collections of dress, fashion research, and fashion exhibitions. As an archive, the WMA is conceived as a
distinct non-hierarchical approach to the collection and taxonomy of cloth-based objects, challenging the orthodoxy of
traditional approaches to dress history. The WMA’s collection principle and taxonomy proposes instead a parity of objects, by interspersing workwear, uniforms and designer garments. The exhibition Invisible Men explored the design language of menswear and exposed its reliance on a fundamentally unquestioning reworking of archetypal functional garments of “the working man.” The exhibition enhanced understanding of the material design language of menswear, which focused predominantly on the replication of garments intended for specific industrial, technical or military use. It also addressed how this absence denies opportunities to understand male dress and masculinities. Over a period of 18 days, Invisible Men attracted 5,692 visitors, while its press and media coverage achieved an estimated 1.12 million coverage views. The exhibition gained significant international press and media coverage, indicating that there is a significant public interest in menswear as a distinct design discipline. Garments from the WMA are scheduled to be seen at Manchester Art Gallery for Dandy Style in 2021, and the V&A and National Army Museum in 2022. |
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