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Patch Work
WINNER OF THE 2021 PEN ACKERLEY PRIZE
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Check link for latest rating. ( 589 ratings, 128 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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In Patch Work, Claire Wilcox steps into the archive of memory. Here, she deftly stitches together the story of her own life lived in and through clothes. In a series of intimate and compelling close-ups, Wilcox shows how the stories and secrets of clothes measure out the passage of time, our gains and losses, and the way we use them to unravel and write our histories.
‘Filled with dreamlike memories, this autobiography is both surprising and delightful ... A strange and mesmerising piece of work, one that tears apart the usual fabric of an autobiography’ Sunday Times
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
WINNER OF THE 2021 PEN ACKERLEY PRIZE
‘A strange and mesmerising piece of work’ Sunday Times
‘An absolute masterpiece’ Laura Cumming
‘An uncommon delight’ Observer
Claire Wilcox has been a curator of fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum for most of her working life. In Patch Work, she turns her curator’s eye to the fabric of life itself, tugging at the threads of memory: a cardigan worn by a child, a tin button box, the draping of a curtain, a pair of cycling shorts, a roll of lace, a pin hidden in a seam. Through these intimate and compelling close-ups, we see how the stories and the secrets of clothes measure out the passage of time, our gains and losses, and the way we use them to unravel and write our histories.
‘Effervescent, poetic, puzzle-like ... Wilcox picks at the heartstrings’ Financial Times
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
In Patch Work, Claire Wilcox weaves a memoir that is both evocative and melancholy, capturing memories tied to clothing unique to her life and career as a fashion curator. Reviewers commend it for its poetic and unusual structure, likening it to an artfully curated exhibition of memories, filled with exquisite meditations and rich descriptions. The book explores themes of love, loss, and memory with profound attention to detail, offering a fresh perspective on the significance of clothing as objects of personal and emotional importance.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781526614414
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 May 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 20.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 232g
Pages: 288
About the Author
Claire Wilcox has been Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A since 2004, where she has curated exhibitions including Radical Fashion, The Art and Craft of Gianni Versace, Vivienne Westwood, The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–1957, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, and, as co-curator, Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up, and instigated Fashion in Motion (live catwalk events in the museum) in 1999. She is Professor in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion and is on the editorial board of Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture. She lives in South London.
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