Fabulous Fashion 1907-67

Over the past decade the National Gallery of Victoria has been the venue for a number of comprehensive exhibitions of costumes and accessories. The most notable of these, Lady of Fashion 1800-1935, was mounted in 1975 and featured some one hundred and fifty 19th and 20th century costumes which had been acquired from the Anne Schofield collection with a subsidy from the State Government. Such exhibitions have engendered a growing awareness within the community of costume as a vital element in our heritage, and as a poignant reflection of the artistic style and social customs of a period. This newly awakened interest has led to the consolidation of the National Gallery’s permanent collection in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, with Fabulous Fashion 1907-1967, we are witnessing for the first time in this country, a major travelling exhibition comprising material drawn from one of the world’s greatest art museums and focussing on the highly fluid art of costume. To be more specific, the exhibition traces the development of artistic style as it applies to dress design in the years between 1907 and 1967. It identifies the contribution to this period of remarkable stylistic evolution of such influential designers as Paul Poiret, ‘Coco’ Chanel, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent. The exhibition evokes the creative intuition of these designers whose exclusive works expressed the aspirations and spirit of their age and proclaimed the social status of their clients.

The selection of costumes for Fabulous Fashion was undertaken by Stella Blum, Curator of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. We wish to acknowledge the great energy and expertise which she and her colleagues have contributed to the exhibition and the preparation of this catalogue.

Excerpt from exhibition catalogue
By Rowena Clarke, former Assistant Curator of Fashion and Textiles