A Fashion Odyssey: Jean Muir, Bill Gibb, Zandra Rhodes

'A Fashion Odyssey' explores the work of three trailblazing British fashion designers –  Jean Muir (1928 – 95), Bill Gibb (1943 – 88), and Zandra Rhodes (1940 – ). The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of Muir's birth.

Muir, Gibb, and Rhodes provided an alternative version of what fashion could be at the start of the 1970s. This was a time of pivotal social change, political activism and liberation. Each designer celebrated imagination, identity, innovation and difference. In doing so, they shaped a modern concept of fashion.

The exhibition will examine the three designers and their design identities, while challenging public understanding of each one. Showing their work together will reveal how these designers influenced each other. You will find out how they interpreted fashion themes in their own unorthodox and individual ways.

'A Fashion Odyssey' will show how these British iconoclasts gave the public choice, rather than following the fashion of the day. It also reveals how actresses, artists and pop performers embraced their individual designs. Ultimately, the exhibition tells us how Muir, Gibb and Rhodes continue to inspire and influence a new generation of designers.
 

Help us bring the exhibition to life!

We’re launching a public call-out to help us track down treasured garments by these three designers. 

We want to gather personal stories, recollections and photographs. We’re particularly interested in the impact of Muir, Gibb and Rhodes in Scotland. 

Do you remember saving up or shopping for a special piece? Did you wear one of their distinctive designs in the 1960s, 70s, 80s or even 90s? Or perhaps you know a friend or relative who did?

Do you still have these remarkable garments or photographs of you wearing them? If so, we would love to hear from you. 

Areas of interest

We’re especially keen to uncover:

• Early dresses with Jane & Jane, Baccarat or Foale & Tuffin labels from the 1960s – few survive in museum collections today
• Pieces chosen for special occasions – why you chose them and what these designers meant to you
• Recollections of shopping for these designers in Scotland. What did you buy and how much did it cost? Or perhaps you’ve recently stumbled across a precious charity shop find?

Though we can't always collect or display physical objects, there is a chance that we might include your photos and stories in the exhibition.