NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA PRESENTS 'AUSTRALIAN MADE: 100 YEARS OF FASHION'

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA IS PRESENTING A STUNNING AND REMARKABLE COLLECTION OF CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES FROM THE 1850s TO 1950s IN 'AUSTRALIA MADE: 100 YEARS OF FASHION'. DRAWN ENTIRELY FROM THE NCV'S COLLECTION OF AUSTRALIAN FASHION AND TEXTILES, THE EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE RISE OF FASHION IN AUSTRALIA. ON DISPLAY ARE RARE EARLY EXAMPLES OF LABELED GARMENTS FROM THE MID-19th CENTURY AND A RANGE OF DRESSES, TAILORED ITEMS AND ACCESSORIES THAT WERE MADE AND RETAILED IN AUSTRALIA. PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING HOW GARMENTS WERE WORN ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE EXHIBIT. LAURA JOCIC, CURATOR, AUSTRALIAN FASHION AND TEXTILES, SAID: 'FROM THE FIRST EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT, THE WAY AUSTRALIANS PRESENTED THEMSELVES IN THE NEW COLONIES WAS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE. WHETHER REFLECTING STATUS AND POSITION IN A NEWLY FORMED SOCIETY, OR EXHIBITING NEW FOUND WEALTH AND FLAMBOYANCE, THE LANGUAGE OF FASHION WAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR THE BURGEONING AND DIVERSE SOCIETY.' WITH THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN THE 1850s, DRAPERS, TAILORS, DRESSMAKERS AND DEPARTMENT STORES WERE FOUNDED TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF A GROWING SOCIETY. AMONG THESE WERE FARMER AND CO IN SYDNEY AND BUCKLEY & NUNN IN MELBOURNE WHICH RAN DRESSMAKING DEPARTMENTS THAT PROVIDED FOR A FASHIONABLE CLIENTELE. AUSTRALIAN MADE BEGINS WITH LATE 19th CENTURY DRESSMAKERS SUCH AS MISS SCOTT IN BRISBANE AND MRS EELES IN MELBOURNE WHO WERE PRECURSORS TO THE HIGH END BOUTIQUES OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY, SUCH AS LE LOUVRE IN COLLIN ST, MELBOURNE. THE EXHIBITION CONCLUDES WITH WORKS FROM THE EARLY 20th CENTURY FROM THE INDEPENDENT FASHION HOUSES, SUCH AS GHV THOMAS AND LUCY SECOR WHO WERE BEGINNING TO MAKE THEIR MARK ON THE AUSTRALIAN FASHION SCENE. 'AUSTRALIAN MADE: 100 YEARS OF FASHION' WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE IAN POTTER CENTER: NGV AUSTRALIA FROM 28MAY THROUGH 23.JANUARY.2011.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.ngv.vic.gov.au