MAGG, Melbourne, fashion house
1920–1925, 1950–1977
Zara HOLT, designer
Australia 1904–89
Evening dress and jacket c. 1960 (detail)
silk, wool
147.0 cm (centre back); 42.0 cm (shoulder, flat) (dress)
71.5 cm (centre back); 66.0 cm (sleeve length) (jacket)
177.5 x 5.0 cm (belt)
National Gallery of Victoria
Gift of Anthea Ball in memory of Mrs Gladys Ball, 2004
Flair: From salon to boutique
Australian fashion labels through the 60s
11 February to 6 November 2005
Myer Fashion and Textiles Gallery
Admission free
From intimate, exclusive salons to swinging urban boutiques, fashion in the 1960s underwent a radical cultural transformation. As ready-to-wear replaced custom made, a new generation of talented, young Australian designers emerged to produce garments for their own modern and 'contemporary' lifestyles.
Designers like the House of Merivale, Norma Tullo and Prue Acton pioneered an aesthetic that was youthful, progressive and total, experimenting with new design ideas, fabrics and technologies. While more established labels like Magg, Tu and Lucas adopted psychedelic colour palettes and a diversity of new silhouettes as part of an expanded design vocabulary.
Absorbed in pop culture, but appropriating the model of the atelier, speciality fashion boutiques became the universal vehicle for experiencing cutting edge and creative fashions. Mini to maxi, baby doll to unisex, this exhibition looks at the major style shift from middle age to teenage, and considers its influence on contemporary Australian fashion.
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