Be Who You Wear

Throughout the winter and spring of 2026, we will be exploring Herefordshire Museum’s costume collection and discovering what secrets can be found among the boxes of boots, the crates of corsets and the drawers of drawers!

Join us as we attempt to decode and understand what people wore, why they wore it, who gave it to them and who made the garments; from the intricate and beautifully hand stitched workwear to the downright flamboyant and priceless wedding garb!

And together, once we understand the anatomy of the things we once wore, we will design and create a new, timeless piece of costume that will grace the newly refurbished museum as a permanent fixture!

Logo for Herefordshire Museums & Galleries with text in black and gray.

Sally Mansell

Sally has been the curator of Costume and T extiles for Herefordshire Museums and Galleries since 2020. She is a historian who seeks to inspire others with this wonderful collection and make discoveries and connections of their own.

Carl Davies

Carl is a costume & set designer for theatre, film, and performance events and has worked all over the UK. He trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, graduating in 2004. Carl is an Associate Artist at Vamos Theatre and Feral Productions.

Rachel Lambert

Film director, producer and creative facilitator, Rachel has had a career covering theatre, design and heritage interpretation. She is passionate about giving people opportunities to engage and explore their own creative expression.

Project Leaders

Women and a young person are gathered around a table with wooden mannequins wrapped in newspaper. One woman is smiling and seems to be speaking, while the others are looking at the mannequins. The room appears to be a classroom or workshop with art or craft materials.
A group of wooden artist mannequins dressed in newspaper clothing are arranged on a table, with two men in the background in a classroom or meeting room. One man is seated and the other is standing and leaning over the table adjusting one of the mannequins.
Wooden mannequins dressed with torn newspapers on a table in a classroom setting, with chairs, papers, and a person using a mobile phone in the background.