University of Northampton to host exhibition celebrating ‘Ivy League’ links
04/11/2015
Curated by Tim Walker and Tom Shaw, with support from the British Footwear Association (BFA), the exhibition, named ‘Craft to America Style to Britain’, emphasises the links between the style that emerged from the group of elite universities and the output of the British footwear industry.
Images from Graham Marsh’s book, ‘Hollywood and the Ivy Look’, which includes pictures of Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Anthony Perkins, display how the look was embraced by leading actors and studios. It also demonstrates the projection of this dress code throughout one of America’s most defining periods of global cultural dominance.
The seminal Japanese book, ‘Take Ivy’, which is celebrating 50 years, showcases this elite look through a collection of photographs taken across the Ivy League university campuses by Teruyoshi Hayashida.
The exhibition also brings the manufacturing process to life. Photo shoots and film from producers in and around Northampton detail what the organisers call “the meticulous craft skills and continued investment required to create the highest standards of footwear in the world”.
Jayne Bingham, Acting Dean of the School of The Arts, at the University of Northampton, commented: “We are delighted to host the British Footwear Association’s Craft to America exhibition. The School of The Arts works closely with the BFA to support its initiatives and it provided excellent guidance to ensure our BA (Hons) Footwear and Accessories programme meets the needs of industry.”
The Craft to America, Style to Britain exhibition will be hosted at the University of Northampton’s Avenue Gallery from Wednesday 4 to Wednesday 25 November.
The BFA is also offering two Northampton Footwear and Accessories students the chance to win an internship with an all-expenses paid trip to Milan in Italy. Students will work with the BFA at MICAM in February 2016. The internship winners announced at the end of November.
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