Friday Late: Urban Fabric at London Transport Museum

Party people can enjoy fashion and frolics after dark at London Transport Museum. Celebrate the softer side of transport with an event focusing on why London is, and always has been, a trend setter in urban street style, the textile design process of using Tube seating fabric on the catwalk, and commuter fashion from the 18th century until today.

Guests can enjoy a range of activities such as talks about the many faces of London’s fashion DNA, craft workshops including making a bow or bow tie using fabrics that represent different areas of London, and having portraits drawn on a vintage Routemaster bus. Bars, music, a pub quiz, a look at the Museum’s latest iconic poster display, a visit to the Designology exhibition and Crossrail’s latest exhibition the design line, are all part of this fashion-themed evening.

Highlights include:

Talks

London Fashion: its unique place in the world – Trend Forecaster and Fashion Designer Geraldine Wharry takes visitors through why London is and has been a trend setting leader. Through trend foresight, street style and fashion history, discover the many faces to London’s fashion DNA.

Designing with Moquette – Fashion Designer Annalisa M Atkinson, will explore the design process for a fashion collection. From the initial design process through to the catwalk to the use of the sustainable fabric of the London Underground moquette range.

· The Inconvenience of Dress – Jenna Rossi-Camus, Curator and Exhibition Designer, tells tales of public transport through fashion satires from the 18th century until today. Discover what it meant to travel in a dress with a diameter of 6ft, and how clothing has adapted to keep up with the times.

Designing stations for local communities – Join five architects working on the Crossrail project to uncover the design story behind the new Elizabeth Line stations and how each is uniquely designed to reflect the community around it.

Workshops

Moquette print pocket squares – Get inspired by London’s iconic moquette fabric and design a pattern to print onto a pocket square of your own design.

Urban bows and bow ties – Make a bow to suit you, using fabrics that represent different areas of London. Where will it take you? To the floral suburbs of Richmond or the West End’s bright lights?

Moquette pins with London Craft Club – Choose from our eclectic collection of moquette fabric to create yourself a unique pin.

Weaving Futures Retrospective – Enjoy a live display of the unique and wonderful woven textiles that have been created on a digital jacquard loom, as part of the Museum’s Weaving Futures season. Watch the loom in action and meet some of the resident designers and weavers. Get inspired and join a workshop to have a go at creating your own textile designs.

Portraits

Commuter Fashion Portraits – Have your portrait hand drawn on the hop-on- hop-off rear platform of a vintage Routemaster bus by Fashion Illustrator Willa Gebbie in her beautiful, ethereal style.

Other activities

Guests can take a curator led mini tour of Museum’s latest poster display entitled Reimagining Historic Posters which explores how design concepts have inspired artists throughout London’s transport history.

Crossrail architects will be on hand to answer questions about the Museum’s Crossrail exhibition, station design and the Crossrail project – Europe’s largest building project.

Visitors can also battle it out in a pub quiz.