1 October 2009 – 18 April 2010
Myer Fashion & Textiles Gallery 12, Level 2
Free entry

As close neighbours, Australia and New Zealand share common fashion ground. Intellectual and creative undercurrents bind the region, while geographic, historical and cultural nuances generate a range of creative responses. As regional identities in a global fashion system, antipodean designers have received international recognition for their distinctive and original approaches.

Bringing together a selection of work from the past twelve years, Together Alone highlights the dynamic practices of eight leading Australian and New Zealand fashion houses – Akira Isogawa, Toni Maticevski, MaterialByProduct, Romance Was Born, Doris de Pont, World, Nom*D and Zambesi. Resisting dominant fashion trends, these designers have developed their own aesthetics and have garnered attention locally at Australian and New Zealand fashion weeks and on the global stage in London, Paris and New York.

Drawing largely on recent acquisitions, this is the first exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria to investigate and contrast the divergent sources of inspiration that lie at the heart of these designers’ works. The diverse approaches to fashion represented through these eight fashion houses at once dispels the stereotyped references to the ‘casual and carefree’ nature of Australian fashions and the ‘dark and gothic’ label frequently attached to New Zealand design. With over forty works on display, the exhibition spans the period when independent fashion design from Australia and New Zealand moved beyond regional boundaries, influencing how fashion from the area has been perceived in the last decade.

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Akira

After immigrating to Australia, Akira Isogawa enrolled in fashion design at the East Sydney College of the Sydney Institute of Technology and in 1993 opened his first store in Queen Street, Woollahra. He presented a collection at the inaugural Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in 1996. In 1998 Isogawa was invited to exhibit in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s inaugural Seppelt Contemporary Art Award. Since then he has shown his collections in Paris each year and has received numerous awards from the Australian fashion industry, including the Award for Fashion Excellence at the National Retail Association Fashion Design Awards in 2006. In 2007 Isogawa was made Australia’s first Fashion Laureate. He has collaborated on costumes for the Sydney Dance Company and is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

A kira, Sydney (fashion house) est. 1993 Akira Isogawa (designer) born Japan 1964, arrived Australia 1986 Earring dress 2004 spring-summer 2005 cotton, silk, suede, metal, plastic, wood 97.0 cm (centre back), 52.0 cm (waist, flat) Purchased with funds from the Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2005 © Akira Isogawa

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Doris de Pont

Doris de Pont was born in New Zealand to Dutch parents. She completed a degree in cultural anthropology, a study which continues to inform her work. De Pont began designing clothes while living in the Netherlands from 1978. Since 1985 she has worked under the labels of DNA and De Pont, printing and designing collections in Auckland. De Pont has shown regularly at New Zealand Fashion Week, producing innovative runway shows off-site that evoke the cultural themes she explores in each of her collections. De Pont first showed at Australian Fashion Week in 2001 for the DNA label. Her work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, and the Auckland Museum.

Doris de Pont, Auckland (fashion house) 1985–94, 2002–08 Doris de Pont (designer) born New Zealand 1954 Outfit: Battle jacket, Idol shirt, Cortina skirt 2006 Sampler collection, winter 2007
cotton lycra (velvet), viscose polyester, transparent synthetic polymer resin, nylon
(a) 41.0 cm (centre back), 59.0 cm (sleeve length) (jacket); (b) 68.0 cm (centre back), 23.5 cm (sleeve length) (shirt); (c) 68.0 cm (centre back), 35.0 cm (waist, flat) (skirt); (d) 1.0 x 116.0 x 7.0 cm irreg. (belt); (e-f) 35.5 x 12.0 cm (each) (mittens); (g) 90.0 x 19.0 cm (tights)
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2008 © Doris de Pont

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MaterialByProduct

Susan Dimasi and Chantal McDonald both studied fashion at RMIT University. In 2004 Dimasi and McDonald co-founded the MaterialByProduct studio. A conceptual design practice, MaterialByProduct aims to interrogate the fundamental processes that cloth undergoes in order to become a garment, and to invent new ways for cutting, joining, marking, draping and tailoring. In 2005 MaterialByProduct was a finalist in the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Innovative Designer Award. In 2006 and 2008 it won the Premier's Design Award for both commercial and cultural fashion design as part of the Melbourne Design Festival. MaterialByProduct was invited to participate in the 2008 and 2009 Barcelona Women's Fashion Week, and is represented in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

MaterialByProduct, Melbourne (fashion house) est. 2004 Susan Dimasi (designer)
born Australia 1973 Chantal McDonald (designer) born Australia 1976 Semi-punch out dress 2007 Soft hard harder collection, autumn-winter 2007–08 wool, viscose, cotton, elastane (a) 107.0 cm (centre back), 33.0 cm (waist, flat) (dress); (b) 3.8 x 224.5 cm (belt) Purchased Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2007 © MaterialByProduct

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Toni Maticevski

Toni Maticevski graduated in fashion and textiles from RMIT University in 1997. After graduating, he won a Fashion Group International Award that enabled him to undertake a work placement with Donna Karen–New York. Establishing his own label in 1999, he also worked two seasons with the Paris-based label Cerruti. Since then, Maticevski has been based in Melbourne, focusing on his own label. He has continued to regularly present collections both in Australia and New York. His designs are individually hand-sewn and many are one-off creations. In 2002 Maticevski won Best New Designer award at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. Three years later, he tied with Kit Willow-Podgornik for the Prix de Marie Claire Best New Designer and was named 2008 Fashion Designer of the Year by the International Design Awards. Maticevski is represented in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Maticevski, Melbourne (fashion house) est. 1999 Toni Maticevski (designer) born Australia 1976 Dalí goddess evening dress 2007 summer 2007 triacetate polyester (crepe jersey), silk (organza), nylon (tulle) (a) 187.0 cm (centre back), 30.0 cm (waist, flat) (dress); (b) 154.0 cm (centre back), 47.0 cm (waist, flat) (underskirt) Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2007 © Toni Maticevski

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Nom*D

Margarita Robertson opened her first retail store Hang Ups in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1975. In 1986 she established Nom*D as a knitwear label creating idiosyncratic, layered garments and was one of four New Zealand labels to show to critical acclaim at the 1999 London Fashion Week. In addition to designing for Nom*D, Robertson runs a retail store in Dunedin and Christchurch called Plume and Nom*D Inc. in Melbourne, stocking local labels such as Zambesi as well as the work of avant- garde international designers. Nom*D is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.

Nom*D, Dunedin (fashion house) est. 1986 Margarita Robertson (designer) born New Zealand 1953 Outfit 2007 autumn-winter 2008 acrylic, wool, polyester, cotton, acetate, silk, elastane, spandex, metal (a) 121.0cm (centre back), 65.0cm (sleeve length) (jumper); (b) 106.5 (centre back), 44.0cm (waist, flat) (waistcoat); (c) 90.8cm (centre back) (shirt); (d) 4.0 x 141.8 cm (shirt tie); (e) 83.5 cm (outer leg), 30.5 cm (waist, flat) (shorts); (f) 130.0 cm (outer leg), 28.5 cm (waist, flat) (leggings) Purchased NGV Foundation, 2008 © Nom*d

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Romance Was Born

Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales graduated from East Sydney Technical College in 2004. After graduating, they were selected to attend the Fourth International Support Awards in Italy and offered an internship with John Galliano. However, they turned it down in order to return home and start work on their own label in 2005. Plunkett and Sales are known for their collaborations with fellow Australian artists, such as Del Kathryn Barton, Esme Timbery and Patrick Doherty. Romance Was Born has dressed some of the world’s most recognised contemporary music artists, including The Presets, Lily Allen, Karen O of Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Cyndi Lauper and Debbie Harry. The label was announced winner of the 2009 L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Designer Award.

Romance Was Born, Sydney (fashion house) est. 2005 Luke Sales (designer) born Australia 1981 Anna Plunkett (designer) born Australia 1982 Crazy crochet dress, Del eye leggings and crochet rooster beanie 2008 Garden of Eden collection 2008 wool, cotton, plastic, metal (a) 75.0 cm (centre back), 38.5 cm (waist, flat) (dress); (b) 102.0 cm (outer leg), 32.0 cm (waist, flat) (leggings); (c) 45.5 cm (circumference, outer), 35.0 cm (height), 29.0 cm (width) (hat) Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2009 © Romance Was Born

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World

World was established by Denise L'Estrange-Corbet and Francis Hooper, a husband and wife design team. L'Estrange-Corbet studied fashion at the London College of Fashion and during the 1980s Hooper worked in London as an assistant to the then unknown fashion designer John Galliano. Hooper and L'Estrange-Corbet opened their own shop in Auckland in 1989, showing their first collection two years later. In 1997 they were one of the first New Zealand labels to show at Australian Fashion Week. Further international recognition followed when they showed at London Fashion Week in 1999. In 2002 L'Estrange-Corbet was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contribution to New Zealand Fashion. In 2004 the Auckland Musuem mounted a retrospective 'We fought fashion and lost: World 1989–2005'. World is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, and the Auckland Museum.

World, Auckland (fashion house) est. 1989 Francis Hooper (designer) born Hong Kong 1964, emigrated to New Zealand 1972 Denise L'Estrange-Corbet (designer) born New Zealand 1960 Sanderson suit 1997 World International collection, spring-summer 1997–98 cotton acetate, plastic, metal (a) 79.5 cm (centre back), 65.0 cm (sleeve length) (jacket); (b) 81.5cm (centre back), 70.5 cm (sleeve length) (shirt); (c) 108.0 cm (outer leg), 42.5 cm (waist, flat) (trousers); (d) 148.0 x 9.5cm (tie) Purchased NGV Foundation, 2009 © World

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Zambesi

Elisabeth Findlay co-founded Zambesi in 1979 with her husband, Neville Findlay. They opened their flagship store in Vulcan Lane, Auckland, in 1982. Zambesi’s menswear range was launched in 1996, and is currently designed by Dayne Johnston. Zambesi opened its first Australian store in Sydney in 1988 and they first showed at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in 1997. Zambesi were one of the ‘New Zealand Four’ to be shown at London Fashion Week in 1999. In 2005 the Auckland Museum mounted a twenty-five year retrospective, Zambesi: Edge of darkness. Zambesi is represented in the collections of the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, and the Auckland Museum

Zambesi, Auckland (fashion house) est. 1979 Elisabeth Findlay (designer) born Greece 1948, emigrated to New Zealand 1951 Outfit: Glimmer top, Kimono and Drifter trousers 2000 summer 2000 printed silk, cotton, plastic, wool, plastic, metal (a) 186.0cm (centre back), 66.5cm (waist, flat) (kimono); (b) 17.0cm (centre back), 37.5cm (waist flat) (top); (c) 108.2cm (outer leg), 34.0cm (waist, flat) (trousers) Collection of the artist, New Zealand © Zambesi

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