From preserving fashion history to equipping young people with cutting-edge digital skills, a new five-year partnership between the Fashion Museum Bath and Bath Spa University is proving that Bath’s creative future is every bit as exciting as its past. Samantha Coleman talks to the people behind this innovative project… Above, Photograph courtesy of Niklas Aarre
For a city celebrated for its heritage, Bath is looking firmly to the future thanks to an ambitious partnership between the Fashion Museum Bath and Bath Spa University to digitise one of the world’s most significant fashion collections using advanced 3D imaging technology.
Launching in 2030, alongside the re-opening of the Fashion Museum Bath in its new home, Explore the Collection will be a free online platform that allows visitors to explore hundreds of objects in interactive 3D.
More than a digital catalogue, it promises to transform how people engage with the museum’s internationally renowned collection, positioning Bath at the forefront of fashion innovation and opening up more than 400 years of fashion history to audiences around the world.
Sophie McKinlay, Project Director at the Fashion Museum Bath, says: “When the museum closed in its old location it gave us a rare opportunity to think differently. We aren’t simply moving a museum; we’re creating a new cultural destination in the heart of Bath. The ambition is to bring more people into the city centre, support local businesses and create a place that residents feel belongs as much to residents as it does to visitors – and all of this is founded on partnership.
“Our collaboration with Bath Spa University on the Explore the Collection project has been fundamental to achieving that vision. We’ve brought together a world-class fashion collection, digital innovation and emerging creative talent to create something genuinely new.”
Rather than replacing a visit to the museum, Sophie sees the digital platform as enhancing it – a companion to the museum: “Nothing will ever replace standing in front of an original garment and seeing the craftsmanship with your own eyes. But what the technology does is add another layer of discovery, allowing people to explore details and stories that would otherwise remain hidden.”
A prototype of Explore the Collection launched earlier this year, offering a first glimpse of what the finished platform could be. Featuring every piece from the museum’s celebrated Dress of the Year collection alongside early 3D models and experimental digital features, the pilot has already helped those working on the project understand how people want to engage with fashion online.
Coral Manton, Director of the University’s Centre for Creative Technology, says: “We’ve been interested in exploring how best to carry out a large-scale scanning project, and the Fashion Museum Bath’s extensive collection offers the perfect opportunity. Having such a large number of objects allows us to compare and contrast them, helping us identify patterns, trends and insights.”
We aren’t simply moving a museum; we’re creating a new cultural destination in the heart of Bath”
Sophie McKinlay
It is, however, a lengthy process. Each garment takes around two days to digitise, beginning with extensive photography before specialist software transforms hundreds of images into highly detailed 3D models.
“Creating 3D versions of each object means you can turn them around and see even the smallest details,” Coral explains. “But one of the biggest challenges is optimising the files so they’re as small as possible while retaining an exceptional level of detail – that’s something we’ll continue to develop.”
The technical complexity also explains why the project is spread over five years. The scale of the scanning work is something you’d usually only associate with world-renowned museums like the Natural History Museum.
Gabby Shiner-Hill, Digital Fellow at Future Fashion Works at the university, says: “This isn’t simply about a university lending support to a museum, it is a two-way exchange – the partnership will shape our research and teaching, just as much as Bath Spa University will shape the museum’s digital future. It is a genuinely symbiotic partnership, where collaborating together achieves far more than either institution working alone.”
This partnership is also a major investment in Bath’s creative future – it creates a direct pathway between education and industry. At its heart is a commitment to nurture talent and equip the next generation with the skills needed to build careers in the region. Young people and students will have opportunities to gain hands-on experience in photography, professional 3D imaging, digital archiving and photogrammetry.
Inclusion is central to this vision, with dedicated work alongside underrepresented communities and young people facing barriers to education, ensuring the benefits of the partnership are shared as widely as possible. This commitment is already being put into practice – recently, the Fashion Museum Bath and Bath Spa University’s Future Fashion Works welcomed young people from Youth Connect South West’s Alternative Education programme into the museum’s storage facility for a day of fashion object scanning.
Using Polycam, the photogrammetry software widely used across museums and heritage organisations, participants learned how to create professional-quality 3D models while gaining first-hand experience of digitisation workflows.
Gabby says: “It was fantastic to see students getting up close to the objects and talking to us about their skills, ambitions and what they hope to gain from being part of the project. The next step is to embed those experiences into our courses, giving students across fashion photography, marketing, creative writing and heritage the opportunity to engage with the project as part of their studies.”
It’s exactly the kind of practical, career-focused experience that can spark new ambitions and introduce young people to careers they may never previously have considered in museums, fashion or creative technology.
The digitisation programme itself is also a journey of discovery. Over the next five years, at least 600 objects from the museum’s collection of more than 100,000 pieces will be selected for detailed 3D capture.
Alongside enhanced catalogue records, multimedia interpretation and new research tools, the project will create an interactive resource where fashion, technology and storytelling come together.
We have the opportunity to create something that doesn’t currently exist anywhere else”
Sophie McKinlay
Sophie says: “One of the joys of the Fashion Museum collection is its extraordinary range. We’re digitising everything from complex historic garments and children’s clothes to everyday dress and spectacular couture pieces – because it isn’t just about famous designers – it’s about the transformational power of fashion to change people’s lives.”
For Sophie, the most exciting aspect is that the project is still evolving.
“This is an active research project,” she says. “We’re discovering new possibilities all the time. Over the next five years we’ll be working with students, researchers, technologists and audiences to explore entirely new ways of experiencing fashion. We have the opportunity to create something that doesn’t currently exist anywhere else – a digital experience that brings together creativity, technology and one of the world’s great fashion collections in a way that’s as inspiring and imaginative as the new museum itself.”
A video documenting the project is available at:
fashionmuseum.co.uk/collaborating-bath-spa-university