Pioneers of the Material World

From peak to precinct, summit to street

Pitting themselves against the elements in the most extreme environments, pioneers from Amelia Earhart to Edmund Hillary, from the Antarctic to the Himalayas, were clothed in high performance fabric made in Burnley. This is the story of how the North made the fabric of empire; then ripped it up and stitched it into something new.

On the 50th anniversary of the 1975 British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition, this exhibition features original clothing across a century, charting the story of Lancashire’s key role in this clothing revolution right up to present day, including its part in creating space suits and Luke Skywalker’s X-wing pilot outfit.

The exhibition shows how performance clothing emerged at the beginning of the last century the in service of empire, and later redefined by northern climbers who, unable to afford elite gear, made their own, giving rise to brands like Berghaus, Craghoppers, Karrimor, Rab, Sprayway, and Rohan, all rooted in northern ingenuity and Burnley’s material expertise.  These garments were adopted by football fans who transformed them into terrace style while ravers donned them in all-night sessions. Now they can be seen on high streets and gigs from Tokyo to Manchester – everyday statements of pride, defiance, and belonging.

Presented in collaboration with the creators of the book, Mountain Style: British Outdoor Clothing 1953 – 2003