ASMR at the museum | Conserving a PJ Harvey costume | V&A

// Listen with headphones for best experience // Join Senior Textile Conservator Susana Fajardo as she works with a costume worn by musician PJ Harvey on the cover of her seventh studio album, ’White Chalk’. Designed and made by Harvey’s collaborator Annie Mochnacz, the costume features appliquéd and machine embroidered lyrics from the songs ’Grow Grow Grow’ and ’The Devil’. Sound designer and performance-maker Julie Rose Bower has documented Susana’s steps using ambisonic sound, letting us get closer to the object than ever before. Watch as the garment is carefully assessed before Susana decides on an approach for conservation. She inserts padded arms which bring the sleeves to life, examines the intentional “distressed“ nature of the garment, and arranges loose threads without losing sight of the original design intention. Conservation process: Inserting soft arms to give the costume shape: 00:38 Looking at the intentional “distress“ of the costume: 01:14 Untangling and arranging loose threads: 03:06