The Fashion Museum, Bath, will host a series of Twilight Talks this autumn, where expert speakers will discuss fashion-related subjects, ranging from Jane Austen to fashions inspired by Caribbean culture.

The talks, at the Bath & North East Somerset Council-run Museum, will also include topics such as the use of fur and feathers in fashion, and a fascinating insight into the life of British stage and screen actress Vivien Leigh.

Cllr Paul Myers (Conservative, Midsomer Norton Redfield), Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, said: “This is a wonderful programme of talks put together by staff at the Fashion Museum, covering a diverse range of topics. I am delighted they have been able to incorporate events to coincide with the Jane Austen Festival and Black History Month. The talks should prove to be informative, inspiring and thought-provoking.”

On Thursday, 14th September, there will be a talk about fashions at the time of Jane Austen, to coincide with the annual Jane Austen Festival that takes place in Bath each September.

On Tuesday, 26th September, hear all about Alberto Ceccatelli’s research discovering the life and work of children’s illustrator Pauline Baynes, who, as a child, owned a vibrant jumper now on display at the Fashion Museum. Later in life, Baynes worked with J. R. R. Tolkien and illustrated many children’s books, including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The talk will be a conversation in Italian and English, with simultaneous translation.

On Thursday, 12th October, join Professor Carol Tulloch as she talks about how British/Jamaican fashion designer Jessica Ogden’s work re-making, re-cycling and customising pre-used textiles is rooted in a centuries-old Caribbean tradition. Part of Black History Month.

On Thursday, 9th November, Keith Lodwick will talk about British stage and screen actress Vivien Leigh, drawing on the archive of her letters and diaries at the Theatre Museum Collection. Leigh’s 1940s red embroidered jacket is on display at the Fashion Museum.

And on Thursday, 23rd November, drawing on her research for the V&A’s forthcoming exhibition, Fashioned From Nature, Edwina Ehrman will talk about the fascinating role of fur and feathers in fashion from the 18th century to the present day. Her talk will particularly focus on the human impulse to improve on and commodify nature.

All talks take place at the Fashion Museum from 6.15pm to 7.15pm, and can be booked at: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk.