Celebrating Black Fashion

How are progressive changes within the fashion industry being documented through exhibitions and contemporary collecting?

In a conversation chaired by Mal Burkinshaw, model and broadcaster Eunice Olumide and museum curator Georgina Ripley share their experiences of a transforming industry.

Part of Black History Month 2021.

Eunice Olumide is a Scottish supermodel, broadcaster and curator who has worked for top designers including Prada and Alexander McQueen. She runs her own fashion label and established The Olumide Gallery in London. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to broadcasting, the arts and charity. Eunice’s MBE is on loan to National Museums Scotland and is currently on display in our Scotland: A Changing Nation gallery.  

Portrait of Eunice Olumide by Ioannis Koussertari.

Georgina Ripley is Principal Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland, and is responsible for the modern and contemporary fashion and textile collections, from 1850 to the present day. Georgina curated National Museums Scotland’s touring exhibition, Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk. 

Mal Burkinshaw is Head of the School of Design at Edinburgh College of Art. Mal was formerly Programme Director of Fashion and led the Diversity Network, sharing best practice on the theme of diversity and engagement with users' needs and feelings. 

Header image: portrait of Eunice Olumide by Frederic Monceau