ABSTRACT
In 2019, National Museums Scotland (NMS) presented the temporary exhibition Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Cat walk. It addressed broad issues of diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry, organized around five categories: ‘Age’, ‘Disability’, ‘LGBTQIA+’, ‘Race’ and ‘Size’. Integral to the mannequin brief was challenging perceptions of the body in relation to existing mannequin shapes to achieve displays that would respectfully represent disabled, gender-fluid and differently proportioned bodies. The representative quality of full-figure mannequins here deliberately set out to validate audiences who have been excluded in the museum setting and in wider society, to consciously raise awareness of diversity from inside our public institutions. However, the availability of figures which represent disability, gender and size differences can present practical procurement issues. In the context of this exhibition some objects required bespoke solutions, particularly in the case of two loans from Irish writer and disability activist Sinéad Burke, who was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. The result is testament to the importance of working collaboratively, as we sought to achieve secure object mounts that upheld the integrity of the exhibition message, and which could inspire new models for inclusivity in conservation practice.
