Archiving Fashion and Textiles: 30 Year Celebration

During Fashion Week talk guests will have the opportunity to view rarely exhibited pieces from the RMIT Design Archives collection. Guest speaker, RMIT University's Dr. Tarryn Handcock will focus on the relevance of these collections today to emerging fashion designers. Presented as part of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival's Independent Programme.

RMIT University's Fashion and Textile Archive was established in 1994 and is now recognised as a nationally significant collection for its historic value, aesthetic interest, and research potential. The textile archives reflect the changes which took place in the practice of textile design in Australia, from an essentially craft-based activity to a design profession over the course of the 20th century, and the fashion archives document the development of the fashion industry in Melbourne and nationally from the pre-Second World War to the 21st century.

In this collection viewing and talk visitors will have the opportunity to view rarely exhibited pieces from the RMIT Design Archives collections. The display will include textiles, fashion, photographs and ephemera drawn from the archives of Frances Burke, Prestige Fabrics (Gerard Herbst), Rae Ganim, Ailsa Graham Art Fabrics, Robert Maltus, Michael O'Connell, Hall Ludlow, Bee Taplin and Diane Masters. 

The guest speaker, Dr. Tarryn Handcock, RMIT Senior Lecturer and Program Manager for RMIT University's Bachelor of Fashion (Design), will focus on the relevance of these collections today to emerging fashion designers.

Textile piece with squiggle pattern, Summer 1986, designer Rae Ganim; Gerard Herbst with Vivienne Leigh fabric, and model Nan Gooderham, Prestige Textile Studio, 1949, creator Prestige Fabrics, unknown photographer, RMIT Design Archives

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information