Beautiful and intricate collection of fine art wardrobe pieces

In 2017 Stephanie Smart established The House of Embroidered Paper; a unique fashion house come fine art studio. Each garment produced is a work of paper textiles, created using only paper and thread; inspired by period and place, history and story. At the end of 2019 Stephanie began a 15 month period as Artist-in-residence at The Regency Town House, Brighton & Hove. There, with the help of town house volunteers, she began to develop The Regency Wardrobe collection.

The Regency Wardrobe is centred around 11 life-sized outfits, complemented by 12 accessories, four wall-hangings and a jewellery box. Each piece is accompanied by related research text and imagery but, in accordance with her practice, it also stands alone as a piece of intricate and intriguing decorative fine art. Developing her use of paper as a medium for garment construction, with embroidered and applied decoration, she has created a collection that’s broader in scope in terms of its relationship to local social history and a particular historical era than any she’s worked on previously.

In order to inform her understanding of Regency fashion Stephanie has made a series of visits to see garments from the Regency period currently held in private collections and museum stores; which she has documented on her website, stephaniesmart.net, under the title The Hidden Wardrobe. Here at Worthing Museum we are showing ‘Fading Glory,’ the Ball Gown, and other pieces inspired by Regency garments in our collection. The other pieces in The Regency Wardrobe collection can be seen concurrently at The Royal Pavilion, Brighton.

The Regency Wardrobe residency was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, by a professional Development Award from The Textiles Society and material sponsorship from Great Art

Please Note This exhibition is free but donations are gladly welcomed. No need to book, just turn up.

Museum & Gallery Opening Times
Wednesdays: 10am - 5pm
Thursdays: 10am – 8pm
Fridays: 10am – 5pm
Saturdays: 10am – 5pm
Sundays: 11am – 3pm

Stephanie Smart shall also be holding an Artist's Talk on Thursday 16th June

https://wtm.uk/events/the-regency-wardrobe-artist-talk/

Stephanie Smart is leading the following workshop on Saturday 21st May and Sat 23rd July

https://wtm.uk/events/workshop-creative-paper-quilling/