Fast x Slow Fashion: Shopping for Clothes in Leeds 1720 – 2020

Fast x Slow Fashion explores the relationship between clothes shopping and people in Leeds, from 1720 to the present day. The exhibit shows how clothes shops have changed, but also highlights how people have sought alternative ways to consume fashion. 

This exhibition examines ready-to-wear clothing and bespoke garments. Most people today buy ‘fast’ mass produced clothing, which is widely available and not too expensive. In the past most clothes were made for an individual. This is a slower process and a more expensive way of making clothes. 

As we face a global climate crisis, some are looking to the past for inspiration on ways to make fashion and shopping for clothes more sustainable.