A MINIATURE model of a cape once worn by the Queen singer Freddie Mercury is one of the star attractions at an important exhibition of fashion and costume at the Salisbury Museum, on until 12th May.

Fashioning Our World exhibition will feature fashion items from the past which tell powerful stories of sustainability and includes a selection of clothes and accessories that have been repurposed, mended and loved, as well as showcasing work by well-known and emerging fashion designers, sustainability experts and students, displayed on a series of miniature mannequins.

The Freddie Mercury caps is a miniature replica of the famous cape he wore on stage, which was designed by Dame Zandra Rhodes. The miniature version has been made for the exhibition by Dame Zandra using an off cut of fabric from her studio. Other leading names in fashion include the subversive designer Jonny Banger and designer and writer of a bestselling book on sustainable fashion Orsola de Castro.

The exhibition has been co-curated with young people who have helped chose the objects on display, plan the themes, and design the information panels and ison is part of a recent project at the museum which is engaging young people with stories of sustainability in the past and supporting them to inspire the community to make positive sustainable choices in the future. Here is a link to the website: https://fashioningourworld.org.uk

Katy England, the Fashioning Our World project manager, says: “It has been amazing to work with the young people on this exhibition – they have so many amazing ideas! We have discovered so many stories of sustainability in the collection, we can’t wait for people to be able to see them.”

Salisbury Museum’s fashion collection contains more than 3,500 items and accessories dating from the last 300 years, covering all aspects of life from weddings and christenings tooccupations such as farming and the military.

Pictured The miniature replica of Freddie Mercury’s cape, designed by Dame Zandra Rhodes; Piece by Piece, a gown designed, made and modelled by Arts University Bournemouth student Sylvie Lefebvre. Photographer, Lucy Havard; wig, hair and makeup by Jess Upton; photoshoot assistant Megan Lloyd.