Lunchtime Lectures: Cotton, Coral and Colonial Worlds: Dress in the Caribbean, 18th-19th Century

This event is part of the free Lunchtime Lecture series. No bboking is required.

+44 (0)20 7942 2000
  • Thursday, 9 July 2026

  • V&A South Kensington

    Cromwell Road
    London, SW7 2RL
  • Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre

  • Free event

Lunchtime Lectures: Cotton, Coral and Colonial Worlds: Dress in the Caribbean, 18th-19th Century photo
African Heritage Guides Joy Johnson and Pennie Mendes explore 18th and
19th-century global trade networks to reveal how and why elite
Parisian Fashion became so influential —Across the Atlantic, in a world
defined by colonial power and authority, where laws, labour, and
appearance were tightly regulated, Creole ladies began self-styling
textiles as acts of quiet defiance. Through dress and accessories, they
negotiated survival, self-expression, and independence, articulating their
own forms of cultural freedom.

Joy Johnson and Pennie Mendes are volunteer guides for the African & Caribbean Heritage tour: Past Meets Present - Tour at the V&A South Kensington.


Header image: 'The West India Flower Girl', by Ruotte after Agostino Brunias [Augustin Brunais]