Pashtun woman's wedding outfit, prepared for 360-photography. Photograph by author.The TRC and Modemuze collaborated on a project last week during which a selection of ten outfits/objects from the TRC Collection were photographed from all angles, to generate an online, 360-degrees image. Modemuze is a fascinating platform connecting different museum collections from across the Netherlands and Belgium, aiming to tell the stories about all these objects of Fashion.
On our side, clothing from a wide variety of countries were selected to give an insight into the diversity of our pieces: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Japan, Germany, Morocco, the Netherlands and Palestine. As the curator on call, I was to help decide on the selection of pieces and mount them on mannequins to be photographed.
Each item was fitted on a mount, and set up meticulously on a turn-table in front of a backdrop. Then, as the turntable rotated the object, a camera would photograph it from every angle.
Japanese kimono, prepared for 360-photography. Photograph by author.At the end of this process, an image will be generated on the Modemuze collection website for everyone to be able to scroll all around the object, and zoom in incredibly closely on the details of each item. You should be able to even see the texture of the weave of the fabric or the intricacy of an embroidered detail.
This experience was full of new considerations. At the TRC, a mannequin is usually only seen from, at most, a few angles during an exhibition and some mounting tricks can be used to fit a garment properly on the mannequin.
But in this case, we were told that any usual adjustment to the garment would be visible, as every angle was to be photographed. No visible pins to keep a reluctant dress in place could remain, no loose piece of fluff could be allowed to hide. We had to consider how a garment would look from the front, back and sides and be aware that every detail would be on show.
Palestinian-style dress made by ANAT (Syria), prepared for 360-photography. Photograph by author.At the end of this experience, one of my main takeaways was that 360-photography serves a great bridge between the online presence of an item and the ability to see it in real life.
At the TRC we often encourage people to come and handle the objects in our collection directly so that they can understand the fabric truly and touch it (when it is possible). They should see how different lighting may affect a material, how movement makes a previously hidden motif visible, how a texture feels under the hand, etc.
Boy's headdress from India, prepared for 360-photography. Photograph by author.360-photography provides a great intermediary for all these elements to still come alive in some ways online; as the garment turns, you see how the light, for example, would hit a decorative mirror and shine brightly from a certain angle.
Damask motifs, usually awakened by movement, will appear and disappear similarly, as the lights or shadows fall on them. I wish we could have photographed every item in our collection this way to make if accessible remotely to our audience. Perhaps in the future!
The items in our selection will be online and visible to all from September onwards on the Modemuze website, along with extra stories linked to the details of the garments (30 July 2025).
