An international collection of rare and historical textiles and clothing has been donated to De Montfort University Leicester (DMU). 

The Karun Thakar Collection includes garments, textiles and decorative objects from across South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and beyond, spanning centuries of craftsmanship and cultural exchange.  

The donation, made by DMU alumnus Karun Thakar, will support teaching, research and public engagement at DMU, while preserving important histories of textile-making and design for future generations. 

A graduate of DMU’s Fine Art course in 1996, Karun has spent decades building an internationally respected collection through extensive travel and research. His work as a collector and curator has seen objects loaned to major institutions around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

L-R Avalon Fotheringham, with Karun Thakar

Speaking about his lifelong interest in textiles, Karun said: “I have been interested in textiles from a very early age. When I was seven, my mother had a textile shop and when I was 10, I learned to sew.” 

He added: “Fabric, textures, colour; all of this is inspiring, it leads to ideas and creativity. Young people should be able to feel things objectively in an increasingly digital world. 

“Some of these objects might have taken a year or more to make. Many reuse older fabrics, some are made from former saris. So, each of the objects in the collection has a very real, tactile history full of the places it has come from and been to. 

“There are many pieces on catwalks around the world which take hundreds of hours to make but these are not commonly worn by people. 

“The vast majority of fashion we buy and wear is cheaply and quickly made, very disposable. As a society we need to question how our fashion is made and make careful choices before we buy.” 

The collection, which is open to the public at the DMU Museum, Hawthorn Building (open Wednesday to Friday, 12pm to 4pm), reflects a wide range of textile traditions, techniques and histories, with pieces including ceremonial garments, embroidered textiles, woven fabrics and domestic objects.

Many items demonstrate the reuse and repurposing of materials, offering insights into sustainability, craftsmanship and cultural identity across generations. Following the exhibition's close on 12 September 2026, the collection will be permanently housed in DMU Special Collections, where it will remain publicly available in the reading room (Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm). The full catalogue can be browsed here.

An event celebrating the donation was held at DMU, featuring a public conversation between Karun and Avalon Fotheringham, Curator of the South Asia Textile Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

Welcoming guests to the event, DMU Vice-Chancellor Katie Normington described the collection as “remarkable in its quality, range and depth”. 

She said: “These textiles carry with them stories of craftsmanship, labour, trade, migration, memory and identity. They give us a way into larger histories through objects of immense beauty, care and meaning. 

“For DMU, it is an honour to be part of that conversation. Universities have an important role in this kind of work. We preserve, research and teach, but we also create the space for collections, ideas and communities to meet. In that setting, new understanding becomes possible.” 

Professor Katie Normington with Karun Thakar

Professor Normington also highlighted the connection between the collection, the university and the city itself. 

She said: “That matters especially in Leicester, a city whose story is so closely bound up with textiles, design, manufacture and exchange. It matters especially to De Montfort University too, because our origins lie in the Leicester School of Art. There is something deeply fitting in our helping to bring this work to wider audiences here.” 

Posted on Thursday 7 May 2026