Emmanuel Coquery keynote address

Reflecting the interdisciplinary methods of designers who creatively synthesise fashion and other art forms, both Australian and international curation now reflects the ascendency of couture to the museum sphere. Formerly deemed frivolous, fashion is now venerated in museums worldwide, with fashion collections routinely achieving blockbuster status once reserved for the great masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vermeer, van Gogh, or Picasso. Exhibition projects dedicated to fashion are among the most popular shows: Alexander McQueen at The Metropolitan Museum (2011, 650,000 visitors) and at the V&A (2015, 480,000); Manus ex machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology at The Met (2016, 660,000 visitors); Dior at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.