ffasiwn exhibition

Head over to the Sustainable Studio from now till 31st January 2025 to view our Ffasiwn Exhibition curated by Jukebox Academy students. Guided by the mentorship of Charlotte James and Sharon Kostini, and produced by Jukebox Collective.

This exhibition marks the culmination of our collaboration with Bleak Fabulous. Since 2021, Bleak Fabulous and Jukebox Collective have collaborated to explore Welsh heritage in a contemporary context, encouraging a modern exploration of Welsh pride and identity.

Welsh national dress emerged in the nineteenth century, responding to a surge of interest in the increased use of the Welsh language and the desire to create a sartorial identity. It consists of a red woollen cloak, a paisley shawl, Pais a Betgwn, a petticoat-like skirt, Betgwn, a white classically woollen bedgown, and a tall black hat.

Charlotte James and Clémentine Schneidermann were particularly inspired by the Welsh Hat and used the piece of national iconography as the project’s base. Collaborating with Welsh costume designer Ffian Jones, the Jukebox Academy students engaged in a hat creation workshop, modernising the traditional garb by imbuing it with their unique creative flares and identities.

Aside from hat-making, the programme included a variety of workshops in costume design, styling, photography, illustration, art direction, and image production, with students being immersed in the creative process from beginning to end. Participants learned new creative skills such as moodboarding, styling, customisation, and art direction, examining Welsh cultural iconography, and leveraging their heritage as a form of expression.

Schneidermann photographed the finished outfits in Butetown and Cardiff Bay, while James oversaw the creative direction. The images produced reflect the playful nature of the participants’ exploration of self. The rich colour set against the eminent, supple greys and whites of Welsh homes encapsulates the essence of Bleak Fabulous, which can serve as a metaphor for the Welsh identity: vivacious, bold, and full of life against its post-industrialised past and emerging present.