Undressing the Past - EFHA Innovation Prize Winner

Locus Solus Studio had the pleasure to participate at the MoMu - Fashion Museum Antwerp's Hackathon organized by Ann Claes. The challenge: reimagine a piece from the museum’s study collection through the lens of technology and innovation.

We teamed up with an amazing group of creatives (Nino van Lith, Paweł Androsiuk and Liwia Labuz) and together we reinterpreted a Victorian silk dress from the collection in a contemporary key, imagining it as part of an exhibition on courtesans in the Victorian era. We combined CGI, Photoshop, and artificial intelligence tools to conceptualize a modern, immersive curatorial experience.

Using 3D visualization, digital garment layering, atmospheric set design, and object-based interaction, the tool reveals the hidden layers, construction, and lived history embedded within the garments.

Our narrative centered on a Belgian lilac silk gown by MMES COCHE ROBES & MANTEAUX (Brussels, ca. 1890-1905) and its imagined journey into the shadowed social history of Ghent - connecting fashion, architecture, and forgotten women’s stories.

Our aim was to merge provocative storytelling with accessible heritage education, making museum collections emotionally and sensorially engaging for a new generation of visitors.

Our project was honored with the EFHA Innovation Prize from the European Fashion Heritage Association for most creatively reimagining the value of fashion heritage and opening the collection to new audiences. The jury recognized the project for its innovation, narrative depth, and future potential within fashion-heritage contexts.