'Peacock Aesthetics': Grainger's Towel Clothes, Gender Fluid Fashion & Performative Flair

For our final talk of the year, 2025 Grainger Research Resident Sophie Knezic will explore Percy Grainger’s early 20th century amateur activity of making clothes from towels, situating this practice in a lineage of bold fashion and cultural movements. From dandyism, bohemianism and androgyny, to anticipating the Peacock Revolution of 1960s psychedelia and the gender-fluid fashion of 21st century haute couture. This talk is based on Sophie's residency research project, Fancy Pants, which aims to bring to international attention the historic significance of Grainger’s Towel Clothes Collection and has inspired her own experimental project of conceptual fashion.

Grainger Museum will be open from 5:30pm, with the talk commencing at 6pm. Booking is encouraged.

This event is also the keynote lecture for the 2025 Grainger Symposium on Music and Fashion. Register for the symposium here.