Couture to Chaos

The nature of world fashion has changed radically since the 1960s. The exhibition Couture to chaos, drawn from the fashion collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, focuses on aspects of fashion design, and examines some of the new and stimulating directions that have occurred since 1960.

Couture to chaos represents over thirty fashion designers with sixty costumes and accessories. It explores some of the major themes and fashion styles, such as the use of industrial materials, optical effects, recycled elements; the introduction of new forms of costume such as trousers and knee-high boots; and the influence of some of the street sub-culture groups on the work of fashion artists.

Sourced from: Couture to chaos: fashion from the 1960s to now: from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, 1996.