About
Lore Archive is a living collection of over 2,000 garments, accessories, and material fragments, built over two decades in response to a deep interest in garments as lived experience. It offers an alternative to traditional costume houses — a space to explore the everyday, the worn, and the quietly extraordinary, through a slower and more research-led lens.
The archive asks what clothes can tell us when we look closely: at seams, stains, mends, wear patterns, and construction techniques. It’s a place for researchers, designers, and artists — including those working in commercial costume and fashion — to engage in slow looking and embodied inquiry.
Alongside this, Lore Archive hosts and initiates multidisciplinary projects that explore the narrative, aesthetic, and political potential of clothing. These often take the form of workshops, talks, and collaborations.
Services
Research & Concept Development Consultancy
Support for creative projects engaging with clothing, textile history, material culture, or embodied research. Available for individuals, institutions, and design teams.
- Sessions start from 2 hours, with longer appointments available depending on the depth and scope of your project.
Includes:
- A curated rail of garments and accessories in response to your mood board, visual references, or written brief
- Full access to the wider archive for rental and photo pack documentation (2,000+ garments/accessories/objects and 200+ books and ephemera)
- Collaborative idea development and concept exploration
- A digital mood board or notes summarising the session
- Scans of relevant book references
Ideal for costume designers, fashion studios, and researchers looking to develop rich, grounded concepts through direct engagement with historical material.
Garment Rental & Research Access
A shorter, self-directed 1-hour appointment for individual designers, stylists, students, or small teams (max. 2 people). This includes garment handling, guided access to the archive, and the opportunity to select items for rental or high-resolution photographic documentation.
This option does not include garment curation or concept development support. The appointment fee is redeemable against any rentals or photo packs booked as a result of the visit.
Workshops & Talks
Bespoke sessions tailored to universities or organizations, exploring archive-based practice, construction methods, repair, and historical garment research.
If you’re a lecturer and would like to book a class or group session, please get in touch — we’re happy to discuss options based on your curriculum or project focus.
Appointments can be booked and paid for directly via Calendly — pricing and availability are shown at the link. If you need a different time or have specific requirements, feel free to get in touch via email — we’ll do our best to accommodate.
Client and Artist Collaboration list:
Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Chloe, Burberry, John Galiano, Victoria Beckham, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, Too good, Toast, Coleen Atwood, Micheal Kaplan, Charlotte Morris, Jodie Barnes, Eliza Conlon, Ai Kamoshita, Another magazine, Gentle woman magazine, Hero magazine, Altered States Magazine, Fantastic Man magazine, 90antiope Magazine, Pierre-Alexandre Fillaire, Vasily Agreneko, Guy Bolongaro, Anna Howard, Supporting Material, Justine Masche, Tom Porter, Joss Mckinley, Abigail Smiley Smith, Sacred Plants, Silvia Bombardini, Holly Waddington