It’s a proud moment for WoW to host the Liverpool launch of The Singh Twins‘ latest book, Slaves of Fashion: Art of the Singh Twins – Personal Reflections on Hidden Stories of Empire, Colonialism, and Their Legacies (Manchester University Press, 2025).
This richly illustrated, artist-designed book showcases ‘Slaves of Fashion’, an award-winning series of portrait-based allegorical and narrative works by contemporary British artists The Singh Twins. ‘Slaves of Fashion’ explores diverse histories and legacies of empire and colonialism through the history of Indian textiles. It is a global story of conflict, conquest, exploitation, slavery, intercultural exchange, and changing fashion.
The series connects these themes to the trade in luxury goods during an age of maritime exploration, colonisation, and industrialisation—all driven by the commercial interests of competing and expanding European imperial powers, from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries. The book includes detailed interpretations of the artworks, representing The Singh Twins’ personal reflections on this story and its relevance to topical debates around racism, cultural ownership, decolonisation, ethical trade, and consumerism. It also offers insight into the making of the artworks, which draw on academic research, historical archives, and museum collections.
The Singh Twins will discuss their work and this incredible publication, illustrated with images from the ‘Slaves of Fashion’ series, and will be signing copies of Slaves of Fashion.
Slaves of Fashion has been produced with the generous support of Sikhlens, USA. Sikhlens is a non-profit organisation based in California that is dedicated to promoting Sikh history, heritage and culture across the globe through diverse educational and arts initiatives, and grants.
The Singh Twins are internationally recognised contemporary British artists, known for their highly detailed narrative, symbolic, and eclectic style, combining hand-painted and digital techniques. Through their work, which they describe as Past-Modern, they comment on modern-day society, politics, and culture, challenge Eurocentrism in the art world, and demonstrate the contemporary relevance of history and tradition. They have each received many awards, including being made Honorary Citizens of Liverpool in 2009.