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A History of the Catwalk

This course is presented alongside Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show exhibition at V&A Dundee  3 April 2026 until 17 January 2027.

Fashion shows are huge, mediated spectacles, society events, and social statements. From the private fashion parades of the late nineteenth century to today’s live-streamed experiences, A History of the Catwalk presents iconic examples by fashion houses ranging from Balenciaga, Chanel, and Dior to Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela, Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Mary Quant. 

From the moment you enrol on a V&A On-Demand course, you get 12 months' access to every stunning video lecture to rewatch as often as you like, plus plenty of additional learning materials, yours to keep.
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  • Kirsty Hassard and Svetlana Panova

  • 9 video lectures

  • 2 hours 55 minutes

This course covers: 

  • Pioneers such as Paul Poiret and Jeanne Paquin, whose conventions shape the runway.
  • How youth culture reshaped fashion, with shows becoming a space for experimentation.
  • The rise of the supermodel, while Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen use the runway to stage subcultural narratives and performance art.
  • How media shapes public understanding of the fashion show, influencing taste reception.
  • How does photography and runway documentation construct the mythology of the fashion show, and reconfigure the relationship between designer, model, and audience?
  • As fashion houses evolve into global brands, the runway becomes a site of architectural ambition and technological experimentation.
  • The course concludes with contemporary debates around identity, sustainability, and representation,  prompting new understandings of the role of the model.
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Your Course Leaders

Kirsty Hassard

Kirsty Hassard is co-curator of the upcoming V&A Dundee exhibition Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show. She previously co-curated Tartan, V&A Dundee’s first major in‑house exhibition and has contributed to a wide range of projects including Night Fever: Designing Club Culture (Vitra Design Museum, 2021) , Balenciaga. Shaping Fashion (V&A South Kensington, 2018) and  Mary Quant (V&A Dundee, 2020).  Her research focuses on women and work, and on the relationship between eighteenth century fashion and print culture.

Svetlana Panova

Svetlana Panova is co-curator of the upcoming V&A Dundee exhibition Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show. As Assistant Curator at V&A Dundee, she is working on projects across different design disciplines, including fashion, architecture, and craft. Svetlana has worked with and for various cultural organisations in the UK, including Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums and London’s Jerwood Arts and Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.


Thank you for a wonderful learning and inspirational experience!
Previous V&A Academy Learner

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