Reflections: Cultures and Collections in Dialogue

April 2 – May 10, 2026
Learning Hub, 2nd Floor

People love to talk, and objects speak to us. The garments and textiles in Reflections: Cultures and Collections in Dialogue were created through conversation: between designers and clients, artists and materials, communities and ceremonies, and even climates and environments. This exhibition extends those conversations by placing two collections in dialogue by pairing six objects from the Textile Museum of Canada with six counterparts from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Fashion Research Collection.

Through these pairings, Reflections explores how fashion and textile traditions circulate across time, place, and culture. A mezzaro veil and crewelwork embroidered coat reveal centuries of exchange and influence between India and Europe. A silk haori and an Issey Miyake top examine transformation within Japanese dress traditions. Accessories such as hats and footwear highlight identity, status, and adornment from head to toe, while garments associated with ceremony and ritual demonstrate how clothing moves, sounds, and communicates during moments of gathering and remembrance.

Reflections: Cultures and Collections in Dialogue was developed through hands-on, collaborative research by first-year students in the Master of Arts in Fashion program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Over two semesters of History and Theory coursework, students worked closely with their instructors and the staff at the Textile Museum of Canada to research, interpret, and write about objects from both collections.

Curatorial Team

Sofia Caycedo
Ana del Carmen De La O Cordero
Daisy Gamble
Calista Greening
Malaika Hamid
Yasmine Kanso
Nadia Modjrian
Jaimeson Pleasants
Laiba Sheraz
Madura Thavalingam
Sophia Zavarella

Type: Exhibition

Date: Apr 2, 2026, 12pm - May 10, 2026, 5pm