In a ground-breaking fusion of art and fashion, Ferens Art Gallery in Hull made history with HOUSEOFTUYI CLOTHING BRAND by hosting its first-ever fashion runway show — Fashion Through the Lens of Art.
From Exhibition Walls to the Runway – A Cultural Dialogue Through Fashion
The SEEN & UNSEEN exhibition has been a bold and timely celebration of diversity, featuring works by pioneering artists such as Nahem Shoa and Desmond Haughton, alongside a host of other Black and mixed-heritage creatives. Their works explore themes of race, identity, gender, nature, and climate change, while amplifying the voices of historically underrepresented artists.
HOUSEOFTUYI, led by fashion designer Seguntuyi Mapeganoluwa Onakoya, took this powerful exhibition and reinterpreted its essence into wearable art. Each piece in the collection paid homage to the outfits, narratives, and cultural symbolism portrayed in the artworks, essentially allowing the paintings to step off the walls and walk the runway. This was not only a celebration of artistic expression, but also a reimagining of how fashion can be a tool for cultural storytelling and education.
Community Building Through Art and Fashion
At the heart of this event was a clear and intentional commitment to community building. HOUSEOFTUYI’s approach went far beyond designing clothes — the brand actively involved local talents, volunteers, and aspiring designers from both the Black and White communities in Hull, creating a truly collaborative and inclusive creative process.
By encouraging people from diverse backgrounds to work together, whether through hands-on garment creation, set design, or creative direction, HOUSEOFTUYI fostered a shared sense of creative ownership. This collaborative spirit not only empowered local talents to express themselves, but also helped break down cultural divides, building bridges through creativity.
This approach exemplifies how community co-creation can foster a sense of pride and belonging, especially in a city like Hull, where cultural fusion and creative development have the potential to thrive when given the right platform.
Ferens Art Gallery - Pioneering A New Era of Cultural Collaboration
This milestone event signals a new direction for Ferens Art Gallery, showcasing how galleries can transcend their traditional roles as static exhibition spaces and become dynamic cultural hubs. By embracing fashion as a legitimate and powerful art form, Ferens opened its doors to new creative possibilities — and to audiences who may have never previously considered themselves part of the ‘art world.’
The collaboration between the gallery’s curatorial team, visual artists, and fashion creatives highlights the power of cross-disciplinary partnerships. It proves that when art, fashion, and community come together, they generate more than events — they create movements.
What This Means for Hull’s Creative Future
This initiative sends a powerful message: Hull is a city that embraces creativity in all its forms. By supporting community-driven events like Fashion Through the Lens of Art, Ferens Art Gallery sets a standard for inclusive cultural programming that:
- Makes talent visible — creating platforms for emerging and established creatives to showcase their work.
- Encourages cultural exchange — inspiring people from different heritages to work together, fostering mutual understanding.
- Empowers local creatives — giving them the confidence and platform to turn passion into profession.
- Strengthens Hull’s cultural economy — by positioning the city as a hub for innovative cultural events, attracting tourism, investment, and wider attention.
A Blueprint for Other Organizations
This project serves as a blueprint for cultural institutions, councils, and community organizations across the UK. It demonstrates how, by opening doors to collaborative and inclusive programming, galleries and cultural spaces can become incubators of innovation, platforms for marginalised voices, and engines for local economic and creative growth.
Other organizations — from museums and galleries to cultural development boards — can learn from this success, understanding that supporting grassroots creativity leads to broader community benefits, including:
- Improved cultural education.
- New pathways for young and emerging talent.
- Stronger community cohesion.
- Enhanced local pride and cultural tourism.
A Lasting Legacy
HOUSEOFTUYI’s success at Ferens is more than a moment — it is a movement, planting the seeds for future collaborations, pop-ups, exhibitions, and creative festivals in Hull and beyond. With the groundwork laid, there is enormous potential for future initiatives that blend art, fashion, music, performance, and storytelling, all while centering diverse voices and untold stories.
As Ferens Art Gallery and HOUSEOFTUYI look ahead, this landmark collaboration stands as proof that when creativity is community-driven, culturally conscious, and fearlessly collaborative, it becomes a powerful force for change.
Fashion Through the Lens of Art was not just a show — it was a celebration of identity, a call to action for inclusion, and a blueprint for what creative leadership looks like in the 21st century. Hull has set the bar high, and the future is brighter for it.
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