AUT has announced the line-up for Shapeshifting, a ground-breaking conference on fashion and textile design to be held in April.
The inaugural event will feature workshops, seminars, presentations and exhibitions from 60 of the most influential designers from around the world. The focus will be on the future of fashion and textiles here and internationally, the changing nature of fashion and the theme of shapeshifting.
Although some speakers and presenters are yet to be confirmed, highlights include experimental British fashion designer Gareth Pugh - whose celebrity fans include Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Beyonce - Swedish artist, theorist and designer Otto von Busch, designer and performance artist Nick Cave and Japanese designer Shingo Sato.
Andreas Mikellis, head of AUT's fashion and textile department and one of the event directors, says the purpose of the conference is to bring together globally recognised industry leaders, theorists, academics and artists to contribute to the future of the fashion and textile industry here, establishing us as the "global home" for experimental, risk-taking fashion and textile research.
"This conference is conceived as a mechanism to inspire, a place where experimental ideas and extraordinary concepts can be seen, aired and shared. It's a conference that sits on the edge, geographically and philosophically," he says.
