Fragments of History

Conversation Pieces / Post-Colonial Gold
Fragments of History is a new capsule collection by Annelies Nuy, launched during Milan Fashion Week 2026.
A collection of accessory brooches, each with its own ID functioning as an interface to a reference. The pieces are constructed from different fragments of ceramic and porcelain. Shards that once formed part of tableware or decorative objects are now used to make history visible.
The pieces are genderless and attached with magnets, allowing them to be positioned in different places. Rather than adapting itself to the garment like a traditional brooch, each fragment retains its own form, history and presence.
The shard is neither restored nor concealed. The break, the material and the traces of its previous use remain visible. What was once part of a functional object becomes a sculptural Conversation Piece.
Instead of a logo on clothing referring to status, each piece refers to art that is disappearing from public memory. Through its own ID and QR code, the fragment becomes an interface between the physical object and a digital layer of art, heritage, ownership and public visibility.
For this capsule, five Conversation Pieces are connected to five fragments from *Nola Hatterman’s Op het terras (On the Terrace), 1930*. The fragment provides access to the work itself and to a wider digital immersive environment in which dispersed, hidden and missing parts of an oeuvre can be brought back into view.
NO LOGO NEEDED.
JUST AN INTERFACE TO WHAT IS DISAPPEARING.
Fragments of History is part of Post-Colonial Gold / WHO OWNS HERITAGE?, an evolving project in which more and more fragments are brought back into view, making history more complete.
Annelies Nuy, 2026