Flags are out at The Bowes ahead of Vivienne Westwood exhibition
A striking terrace installation is on display ahead of the upcoming exhibition
A new outdoor installation by Northumberland fashion and textile artist Meg Fletcher is now on display at The Bowes Museum, linking contemporary fashion design with the legacy of Vivienne Westwood and the museum’s founder Joséphine Bowes.
The installation, Character Studies – 3 Acts, features three large-scale flags displayed on the museum’s terrace. The work has been commissioned to coincide with the museum’s forthcoming exhibition Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary, which opens on March 28.
The flags reinterpret Joséphine Bowes (1825-1874) as a contemporary figure, blending elements from her well-known pink-dress portrait with motifs and silhouettes drawn from Vivienne Westwood’s (1941-2022) influential fashion collections and objects from the museum’s own holdings.
Each flag reflects a different theme connected to Westwood’s career.
Rebel draws inspiration from Westwood’s Pirates Collection (1981), combining bold silhouettes with decorative influences taken from 16th- and 18th-century porcelain in the museum’s collection. Storyteller references Westwood’s Mini-Crini (1986) and Harris Tweed (1987/88) collections, reworking details from Bowes’s portrait through historic textile references. Visionary looks to the Anglomania collection (1993/94), famously worn by Kate Moss, while incorporating classical imagery from the museum, including The Birth of Venus by Pierre-Jacques Cazes.
Meg said the project explores how fashion can shape identity and character.
“I believe there is an ethos that we dress to become different versions of ourselves. Westwood was never afraid to blur the lines between fashion and costume to create strong looks. By exploring Joséphine Bowes’s history as an artist, actress and rule-breaker, I wanted these flags to celebrate that shared spirit of reinvention.”
The commission also forms part of the museum’s wider programme supporting artists and makers in the North East.
Vicky Sturrs, director of programmes and collections at The Bowes Museum, said: “These flag commissions are pivotal in our mission to support regional artists, designers, and makers.
“Meg Fletcher’s work brilliantly captures the essence of Vivienne Westwood’s legacy alongside Joséphine Bowes’s visionary spirit. They’re playful and powerful and really resonate with our musuem’s history and future focus.”
Visitors can see Character Studies – 3 Acts on The Bowes Museum terrace ahead of the major Westwood exhibition, which opens on March 28.