The Curious Society presents "The Performative Life of Clothing"

When someone sees a lavish gown shimmering in the stage lights, they don’t always think about the life that piece of clothing carries, the hours of work, the thought behind every stitch, and the stories it will gather as it travels from stage to stage.

Frank Darling, the Wellington-based costume and fashion designer behind the eponymous label Frocks by Frank, has spent the last eight years creating garments that live and breathe on the bodies of performers. After completing a Bachelor of Design with First Class Honours at Massey University and as a Massey Scholar, Frank began crafting commissioned pieces for drag performers locally and internationally. His work is more than fabric and thread. It’s a celebration of identity, transformation, and the way garments can shape both performance and self.

Among the many performers Frank has dressed is his own radiant drag persona, Hariel. Known for her flaming red hair and beard, dazzling couture costumes, and spellbinding lipsyncs. Hariel has graced the stage of the Wellington Opera House, toured the country entertaining audiences, and achieved second runner-up in Mx Capital Drag, each time twice!

In this lecture, Frank explores the idea that clothing is not static. Garments carry memory, emotion, and symbolism. Clothing doesn’t just sit in a wardrobe, it exists in relationship with its wearer, and in caring for our clothing, we also care for the identity and spirit it supports. Frank will show how the life of clothing extends far beyond the seams, and how, by cherishing our garments, we are ultimately cherishing ourselves.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Mean Doses, 66 Tory Street, Wellington, New Zealand

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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