Chinese and Japanese silks and Egyp cottons

Chinese silk embroidered shawls and Chinese surcoats brought into Australia by Chinese Australians in the late 1800s through to the 1930s have influenced the choice of cloth, cut and colour of Australian fashion. Women in the 1920s and 1930s wore silk and embroidered evening coats and overblouses made of chiffon, georgette or velvet, which borrowed heavily from the prevailing Chinese influences in cut and colour as well as using locally sourced materials.These items were worn over decades and have a place in place in the living memory of women's wardrobes, such as a tangerine coloured georgette evening coat, labelled by Freebody & Debenham in 1920, with long sleeves and the hem set off by broad bands of figured black and tangerine ground velvet Japanese silks have also been influential - evident in Akira Isogawa's collections of the 1990s based on his mother's kimonos. In 2002 Isogawa reinterpreted a turn-of-the-century hand-ruched silk taffeta frock to create a shawl from silk velvet. Isogawa's work is distinguished by his use of transparent fabrics, layering of garments, unusual combinations of textures and fabrics and his re-use of antique kimono fabrics and traditional Asian textiles.Silk organza and other lightweight silks are a favourite cloth for Nicola Finetti and Collette Dinnigan. Finetti and Dinnigan dresses are renowned for the way they drape and sculpt bodies in a wearable albeit subtle cut, often to sensual dramatic effect. In 1995, Collette Dinnigan was the first Australian to mount a full-scale ready-to-wear parade in Paris as invited by the 'Chambre Syndicale du pret-a-porter des courtiers ets createurs de mode'.

50's fashion

fashion ads from the 50's era . The ads are reproduced as close to full size as possible and are shown in original colors and are lovely. There is no commentary on the ads to tell you why these ads are interesting, significant, or representative, but the ads themselves are fun to read and look at. Would have given 5 stars had there been discussion. Great library find, but not so much a buy unless you just want the ads.