From shows that highlighted the link between traditional clothing and contemporary fashion, to art exhibitions that synthesised cultural motifs to create wearable sculptures, 2023 has delivered some phenomenal clothing design exhibitions.

Meanwhile, we also saw visionary costume design from artists and designers, many of whom are members of the drag community, that pushed self-expression through their craft to bold new heights.

Here are some of STIR’s best of 2023, at the intersection of art, clothing design and fashion.

1. From traditional textiles to fashion futurism: Brooklyn Museum's ‘Africa Fashion’

Africa Fashion (June 23-October 22, 2023) at the Brooklyn Museum, was co-curated by educator and curator Annissa Malvoisin and artist and curator Ernestine White-Mifetu. Its exhibition design took 1960, the “Year of Africa”, as its starting point and explored the continent’s rich and diverse contributions to the world of contemporary fashion through over 300 works held in the museum’s collection. These included films, visual art, photography works, futurist fashion design pieces, textile design, art and jewellery.

Africa Fashion focused on the interconnectedness of sartorial expression and identity within Africa, and it suggested that African fashion has influenced the rest of the world. "Fashion is both multidimensional and a fabulous creative statement,"Malvoisin told STIR. "Africa Fashion encapsulates this with beautifully vivid and interlocking perspectives. Music, art, cultural identity and material culture are emphasised to create a rich sensorial experience.”

2. Luis Sahagun's art unites indigenous histories with contemporary realities

Luis Sahagun is a Mexican-born American artist whose wearable sculpture Lo Que Grita Mi Piel (2020), which translates to That Which My Skin Screams, was exhibited at Governors Island in New York for an annual art exhibition hosted by the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) in conjunction with Latchkey Gallery from September 1 to October 1, 2023.

The sculpture combines elements associated with curanderos, or indigenous healers, along with the iconography of La Virgen de Guadalupe, who is the patron saint of Mexico and an important symbol for the Mexican diaspora. Sahagun’s sculpture is at once a tactile map that traces the spiritual harm caused by colonialism and a celebration of cultural survival in the face of colonial indignities.

3. Meet the Villbergs: a conversation with the Swedish drag power couple

John Ronny and Simon Andreas Villberg are prominent members of the drag community, who “aspire to inspire, to arouse and terrify”. In an interview published in June, the couple discussed their practice and journey so far with STIR.

The Villbergs possess a stage presence that is distinct from their contemporaries for the sheer outlandishness of their costume design, which blends contemporary fashion with aesthetic inspirations that range from retro starlets like Marilyn Monroe, to mythical creatures such as goblins.

Going beyond their inimitable stage presence however, the duo have also been instrumental in improving visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community and drag performers through their reality television show The Villbergs Chronicles. The show followed their travels across their native Sweden for one season, followed by a second season focusing on their wedding, which also brought together several other drag performers.

Over the course of their careers, the Villbergs have come to play a nurturing role within the drag community, which Mr. Villberg commented on in their interview with STIR, saying: “We are kind of like a ‘Mum and Dad’ in a way. We have our own circus family here in Sweden, which we call The Obscene Family, and they are like our kids.”

4. Enter the Huxleys: the fantastic performance art couple from Australia

Continuing with STIR’s coverage of standout drag practices this year, we also had the pleasure of interviewing Will and Garrett Huxley, who are an acclaimed queer-centric drag performance duo based in Melbourne, Australia.

Their performance art practice is steeped in camp culture and incorporates photography and videography, along with their signature garishness. The Huxleys have presented work in  Australia, as well as Berlin, Moscow, Hong Kong, and London. In Will Huxley’s words, “Our message is about escapism and providing a magical detour from everyday life. We are all about giving people a glimpse into another world, if even for just a moment.”

Beyond escapism, the duo’s practice also celebrates queer love and the LGBTQIA+ community. "We remember what it was like to not have visibility or power and we want to keep our message of pride front and centre in our work. We will always champion queer love and queer stories," Will said.

5. Luke Rudman's practice sits at the juncture of painting and performance

STIR also covered Luke Rudman’s highly engaging drag practice in 2023. Rudman is a South African artist who is quickly gaining prominence for his unique combination of costume design and body painting, which sees him blend into the photographic compositions he creates. He is at once the artist and the art.

Rudman’s work explores themes such as queer identity and environmental activism, and his ensembles feel like wearable sculptures. “People sometimes consider my approach to creating artworks unconventional or niche, but I gravitated towards it very naturally,” Rudman told STIR. “There is something about using one's body as a canvas or existing as a living sculpture that is powerful, and also painful as an expression of past traumas and shame.”

The articles mentioned above present a small slice of the fantastic fashion and clothing-focused projects and practices that made the news in 2023. These stories invite us to reconsider the histories and purposes we associate with garments, and to dream of the mesmerising possibilities that clothes create for self-expression.

As we enter 2024, STIR looks forward to our continued coverage of the most exciting projects and practices at the intersection of fashion, clothing and art.

STIRred 2023 wraps up the year with compilations of the best in architecture, art, and design from STIR. Did your favourites make the list? Tell us in the comments!