Panel Discussion: Deconstructing Corsets

Join academics Kiara Bulley, Sal Edwards, Anna Hickey, and Kath Horton at the IMA for a panel discussion exploring the complex cultural legacy of the corset.

The panel will examine how this historic foundation garment continues to shape contemporary expectations of the feminine, particularly through the rise of activewear and shapewear industries. Tracing the corset's evolution from utilitarian undergarment to high fashion statement, from 1980s punk reclamation by designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier, to today's cottagecore aesthetics and 'Glassons corset' fast fashion iterations.

The conversation will address debate surrounding the corset's meaning—whether it represents patriarchal oppression or, as some contemporary artists like Michaela Stark argue, serves as empowering armour that allows wearers to sculpt their bodies on their own terms.

Unpacking the corset, the discussion will consider the garment as a powerful metaphor for broader questions about bodily autonomy, the policing of feminine presentation, and ongoing feminist tensions around hyper-feminine expression in popular culture.