Knit Wits Haus of SIBLING - An Archive Exhibition of SIBLING knitwear

It’s Saturday night... time to get ready! Kingston Museum invites you to be bold, brilliant and adventurous with Knit Wits Haus of SIBLING - An Archive Exhibition of SIBLING knitwear shaped by the rituals of a Saturday night. On display at Kingston Museum in collaboration with The Community Brain and BA Fashion Promotion and Communication, Kingston School of Art, Kingston University.

Founded by Joe Bates and developed alongside collaborators Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery, SIBLING emerged as a fearless force which subverted knitwear’s conventions, rejecting refinement in favour of excess: oversized silhouettes, clashing colours, graphic slogans, and a deliberate embrace of the awkward and the joyful. The group’s work challenged expectations of what knitwear could be: irreverent rather than polite; expressive rather than decorative; and carving out a space for individuality, queerness, and play within the fashion landscape. Behind the concept for this exciting new show are its curators: Scarlett, J, Riya, Polina and Elisa, a group of BA Fashion Promotion and Communication students at the Kingston School of Art, part of Kingston University.

This experimental exhibition brings together a collection of rare garments from Kingston University’s Fashion Archive, shown publicly in this celebratory presentation for the first time since the SIBLING brand closed in 2017. The pieces preserved within the archive capture a singular moment in British fashion when knitwear encompassed humour, rebellion, and radical expression. Kingston Museum - Wheatfield Way, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2PS, KT1 2PS Knit Wits Haus of SIBLING has been made possible through the support of The Community Brain, whose mission is to celebrate local heritage and identity. through creative collaboration with communities within the borough.

Presented at Kingston Museum, the exhibition invites audiences beyond the fashion industry to engage with garments not as distant luxury objects, but as vibrant expressions of creativity, community, and cultural resistance. Together, these works celebrate SIBLING’s enduring legacy and reaffirm the power of fashion, which belongs to everyone, capable of challenging norms while sparking joy.