Unlikely Collaborators Spark Salon with Dr. Valerie Steele

Fashion is often dismissed as superficial. But what we wear reflects powerful and often unconscious ideas about who we think we are and who we want to be.

In this Spark Salon, fashion historian and author Dr. Valerie Steele explores what clothing can tell us about our dreams and desires, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. Drawing from her book Dress, Dreams, and Desire: A History of Fashion and Psychoanalysis, she examines why fashion carries such powerful emotional and cultural significance, and why we don’t always know why we dress the way we do.

Why do certain clothes feel like us while others do not? What role do fantasy, desire, memory, and aspiration play in the way we present ourselves to the world? How much of our style is conscious choice, and how much is shaped by culture, experience, and unconscious beliefs? And how much do we really understand about the messages we communicate and the assumptions we make about others through what we wear?

Looking beyond trends and stereotypes, Dr. Steele invites us to consider fashion as a lens through which we construct a sense of ourselves, express desire, seek belonging, and make meaning. In doing so, she reveals how clothing shapes not only how others see us but how we see ourselves.
4:00 p.m.: Doors open, reception
5:00 p.m.: Program begins promptly, doors close no late admittance
6:00 p.m.: Book signing and reception

Prior to the event you will receive an email from Unlikely Collaborators’ building registration system (coming from: [email protected]) to confirm your attendance and to offer pre-check in for the event. During the in-person check in process each attendee will be required to:

• Present a government-issued ID
• Take a photo for the building registration system
• Review and sign a general liability waiver and a house rules agreement (can be completed during pre-check in)
• Wear an event badge that displays your first name

No exceptions.

Attendance is complimentary, full and completed registration is required. Admission is granted on a first come, first served basis until capacity is reached. Doors open at 4:00pm and close promptly at 5:00pm. Late entry is not permitted as the event is being filmed and livestreamed.

Attendance is limited to individuals aged 16 and older.
No pets allowed (except for service animals), no outside food or beverages allowed.

Steele is the author of Dress, Dreams, and Desire: A History of Fashion and Psychoanalysis.