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2024

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Six Ways Work Is Worn

Ken Sakata traces two centuries of workwear through the Powerhouse Collection

Sunset Variations

Sydney Observatory30 Jan—27 Feb

2025

Stories

Six Ways Work Is Worn

Ken Sakata traces two centuries of workwear through the Powerhouse Collection

Ken Sakata

Australian clothing designer and commentator, Ken Sakata, joins Powerhouse curators to explore the cultural and historical significance of key objects from the Powerhouse Collection.

From a Shōwa-period Japanese fireman’s uniform to a 150-year-old convict jacket and Burberry expedition trousers, the series highlights just a few examples from a collection of over half a million nationally and internationally significant objects.

‘Powerhouse Castle Hill is the collection store. It houses more than 40,000 textile objects preserved for public access and study, including by visiting researchers such as Ken.’

Roger Leong, Collection Curator

What does workwear look like in SPACE?

Sokol KV-2 spacesuit, consisting of pressure garment with hood, radio headset and canvas booties. The pressure garment is made of white nylon canvas, with a rubberised cloth lining. It has an attached pressurised hood, in place of a helmet, with a hinged plastic visor which secures to an anodised aluminium neck ring. Decorated with royal blue trim and appliqued patches. — Russian Sokol KV-2 spacesuit
Object No. 94/65/1

Ken Sakata examines the Sokol KV-2 spacesuit from the Powerhouse Collection. The suit brings together pressure fabric, a sealed visor and protective layers to sustain cosmonauts in the most unforgiving moments of a mission. The Sokol KV-2 spacesuit will also be part of Powerhouse Parramatta's opening exhibition Task Eternal.

Photograph of a 1:3 scale model of the Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5 crewed spacecraft link-up. Each Soyuz spacecraft consists of a spherical 'orbital module'at the front, a bell-shaped re-entry module in the middle of the craft, with a cylindrical service module at the rear. Long solar panels extend from either side of the service module. The two craft are joined nose-to-nose by a short, cylindrical docking tunnel, painted grey. Two sections of metal antenna are detached from the model. — 1/2
Model of the Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5 spacecraft link-up, pre 1985
Object No. 97/2/9

Full-scale replica of a first-generation Soyuz spacecraft re-entry module. The module is bell-shaped with two small portholes on either side of the access hatch to the 'orbital module'. The entry hatch is open showing a view into the spacecraft interior, which is reproduced in basic form, showing the layout of the main control panels and fittings. The three cosmonaut launch/landing couches are shown, two of them occupied by spacesuited mannequins representing the crew. — 2/2
Model of a Soyuz-4-5 re-entry module, pre 1985
Object No. 97/2/10

‘Traditional workwear can be repaired, can be patched, but this has different stakes. The ability to repair things in space is extremely limited. So you'll see a lot of extreme construction techniques, not only is this triple stitch everywhere, the fabric and construction is extremely thick and in multiple layers throughout this astronaut suit.’

Ken Sakata

Photograph of the balaclava a part of a five piece royal blue polyester wool blend flight suit with white trims, emblems and patches. — 1/4
Russian flightsuit used by Cosmonaut Oleg Makarov, 1977
Object No. 94/65/2

Photograph of the heavy jacket a part of a five piece royal blue polyester wool blend flight suit with white trims, emblems and patches. — 2/4
Russian flightsuit used by Cosmonaut Oleg Makarov, 1977
Object No. 94/65/2

Photograph of the light jacket a part of a five piece royal blue polyester wool blend flight suit with white trims, emblems and patches. — 3/4
Russian flightsuit used by Cosmonaut Oleg Makarov, 1977
Object No. 94/65/2

Photograph of the trousers a part of a five piece royal blue polyester wool blend flight suit with white trims, emblems and patches. — 4/4
Russian flightsuit used by Cosmonaut Oleg Makarov, 1977
Object No. 94/65/2

Why were Japanese firefighter uniforms made from COTTON?

Japanese fireman's five piece costume in heavy indigo dyed cotton. — Japanese fireman five piece outfit
Object No. A9721

Showa-period hikeshi relied on thick, sashiko-quilted cotton coats – layered and water-soaked to offer protection from heat and sparks.

Photograph of a man's martial arts outfit made of cotton. A white wrap-over long sleeve shirt and loose pants matching fabrics. On the left are other accessories to the uniform such as a band and elastic accessories. — 1/2
Mens martial arts outfit by HSK, c. 1955
Object No. 88/356

Photograph of a dark indigo helmet made of cotton, part of Japanese fireman's costume. Attached to the helmet is a long piece of fabric used to cover the firefighters head, including a flower/sakura shaped piece of metal on the top of the helmet. — 2/2
Helmet of Japanese fireman outfit, c.1900-1930
Object No. A9721-1

‘If you fought a fire you would have to hydrate this uniform by dunking it in water and submerging it, saturating it. Then it would become three times as heavy. The saturated cotton would steam and char instead of igniting, which would buy you precious minutes in a fire.’

Ken Sakata

Photograph of a concertina booklet, featuring three illustrations coloured in orange, red and blue hues. The first illustration on the left shows a barren landscape focusing on two dead trees. The middle illustration shows people in blue clothing running along a river, in the background there is a bridge with one side engulfed in flames and smoke. The third illustration on the right shows a street on houses on fire, the bottom right shows a crowded path of people leaving the street. — 1/3
Booklet of wood block prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika, 1876-1881
Object No. A155

Photograph of a cotton Yukata or summer kimono of simple wrap-over style with short rectangular sleeves. Striped indigo blue and white warp with blue and white ikat weft with a stylised tree form design. — 2/3
Yukata kimono from Japan, 1801-1900
Object No. A169

A sepia printed photograph of Nichiren Temple in Osaka, Japan from the 1880s. Four paper lanterns at the entrance of a straw roof with intricate sculpture rims. — 3/3
'Temple, Osaka, Japan' carte-de-visite
Object No. P1512-40

About Ken Sakata

A close-up portrait of a man (Ken Sakata) with short black hair and looking to his right, away from the camera.

Ken Sakata is a Japanese Australian fashion designer and cultural commentator working across fashion, visual culture and brand strategy. As Creative Director of Front Office, he merges material research, subcultural references and contemporary design to shape campaigns and projects for leading global clients.