Note from collector- "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from." 'Laconia Blankets' electrical sign with signature lambsLaconia Blanketsblankets, blanket fever, laconia, advertising

Green Scrap Book entitled 'David Lupton's Sons Company' re-entitled 'Wendy's Dressmaker' includes cuttings of dressmaking items collected by Olive Hughes in the 1930s from the Taraniki Daily Newsbooks, fashion

Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary were photographed holding these fans.|In 'Feather Fans - Collectors Guide to Fans' by Susan Nayer - 'In1880 feather fans returned to fashion -- remained in use until 1930s at court presentations. Also known as Japanese Fans.`Women's fan. Blue and green peacock feathers in circle. Handle wrapped in blue ribbon. Used indoors beside the fire to protect a ladies complexions against the heat.costume accessories, female

This dress was featured in a fashion editorial in the Herald Sun 2012 for a Jerry Hall style look, and also a fashion parade at the Love Vintage fair in 2011 as well as in the book "Style is Eternal" 2009.This dress is representative of 1930s style fashions created by the House of Merivale in the 1970sHalterneck maxi dress with scooped neckline, and deep lace up back. Flared, bias cut skirt perfectly matches up the pinstriped fabric. Centre back nylon zipper. Labelled the House of Merivale

Louis Kahan (1905-2002) is best known in Australia for his skill as an artist. As Independent Fashion Curator, Laura Jocic has observed, ‘It is less known though that Kahan had a career in theatre and fashion in Vienna and Paris during the 1920s and 1930s that continued when he came to Australia in 1947. He signed his fashion illustration with the initials 'nac', a phonetic interpretation of his surname spelled backwards. In this illustration on newspaper we can see Kahan playing with the graphic effects of line and text, while communicating the cut and drape of late-1950s fashions.’ Kahn was born in Vienna in 1905 and first travelled to Australia in 1947. He moved to Melbourne in 1950 where he became friends with artist George Bell, writer Alan McCulloch who introduced him to Clem Christensen, editor of the literary journal Meanjin, where many of his portraits of Australian writers were published. His 1962 portrait of the author Patrick White won the Archibald Prize, bringing him national recognition. He also designed sets and costumes for the Elizabeth Theatre Trust (Opera Australia) and the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 1993 his contribution to Australian cultural life was recognised when he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO). He died in Melbourne, at the age of 97 in 2002. Ann Carew 2018Fashion illustration on newsprint. Drawing depicts two women. Women in foreground is wearing a long green coat and hat.Woman at rear is wearing a green and white evening dress with white gloves.Signed lower right in ink, 'nac 1958'.fashion illustration, fashion design

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. The V&A's history of fashion describes 1930s dresses as characterised by '... a slinky femininity... Parisian couturiers introduced the bias-cut into their designs, which caused the fabric to skim over the body's curves. Long, simple and clinging evening gowns, made of satin were popular. Often the dresses had low scooping backs'. This dress was made for an aunt of the donor, who was the daughter and sister of well-known male Melbourne architects in the Smart family. Long floral green crepe georgette dress.women's clothing, dresses, australian fashion - 1930s

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.The V&A's history of fashion describes 1930s dresses as characterised by '... a slinky femininity... Parisian couturiers introduced the bias-cut into their designs, which caused the fabric to skim over the body's curves. Long, simple and clinging evening gowns, made of satin were popular. Often the dresses had low scooping backs'. This dress was made for an aunt of the donor, who was the daughter and sister of well-known male Melbourne architects in the Smart family.Long cream and orange floral crepe georgette evening dresswomen's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, fashion and textiles collection, rosemary smart

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.The McIntyre Collection of clothing and clothing accessories forms one of the largest single donations to our Fashion & Design collection. It includes clothing and clothing accessories worn by four women in the Cohen and McIntyre families across three generations. The items worn by Melbourne architect, and Kew resident, Dione McIntyre date from the 1960s and 1970s, and include evening wear, day wear, hats and shoes. As Dione McIntyre often accompanied her husband, fellow architect Peter McIntyre, to formal events, there are a number of pieces of evening wear among the items. The McIntyre Collection also includes items worn by women of an earlier generation: by Lilian Cohen, Dione McIntyre's mother, and by her mother-in-law, the wife of the architect Robert McIntyre. At the other end of the chronological spectrum are a number of outfits belonging to, worn and donated by Annie McIntyre. These include outfits created by notable late 20th century Australian and/or international fashion designers. The McIntyre Collection is significant historically and artistically as it includes examples of design that demonstrate changing tastes in fashion over an 80-year period. The collection is also significant in that it includes the work of a large number of Melbourne designers from the 1960s to the 1990s. Black crepe jacket with heavy cream embroidery. The jacket is believed to have been purchased by an aunt of the donor in the 1930s on a trip to the ‘Orient’mcintyre collection, women's clothing, international fashion - 1930s, evening wear, eveing jackets

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants' clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. While the collection includes some examples of international fashion, most items were handmade or purchased in Melbourne. An early example of swimwear from when men were able to legally swim topless in the 1930s. The fashion originated in France in the early 1930s, and slowly caught on in other countries, although was often controversial. In Australia this was less so, and by 1940 it was common attire at the beach. Pair of dark blue, woollen bathing trunks. Front skirted flap. White woollen belt with silver-coloured metal buckle. White label with blue stitched text attached to rear. Label: "Alpha" Size: SMswimwear - men's, alpha swimwear, alpha - menswear designer

From its beginnings in 1958, the Society has mounted exhibitions and/or displays, in early days in shop window and in community spaces located in the Kew City Hall (later Kew Library), and since 2010 at the Kew Court House. Exhibitions typically coincided with the annual Kew Community Festival in March, but after 2013 evolved into three new exhibitions yearly at the Kew Court House. Smaller displays continue to be mounted in the Kew Library. Display of seven costumes from the Weir collection dating from the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s used as a display at the 11 April 2018 monthly meeting at which the speakers were Jillian Rigby, Robert Baker and Suzanne McWha. The topic was the Weirs of Princess Street (Kew). The dresses form part of the Kew Historical Society Australian fashion collection and are catalogued individually.weir collection, women's clothing, kew historical society - meetings, australian fashion - 19100s - 1910s - 1920s - 1930s

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. When this summer dress was donated by Elaine Chenoweth, a resident of Kew, it was identified as a dress purchased from the Misses Mooney Shop at 189 Collins Street (active 1932-1972) and dated to the 1930s. The consensus is that the dress was made from a 1930s fabric in the mid to later 1930s and shows the characteristic sleeves, waistline and flared skirt of the period.Pink floral voile day dress, reputedly purchased from the Misses Mooney's Shop in Collins Street, Melbourne. The dress has a tie at the waist in the same fabric ending in small wooden clogs. women's clothing, day dresses, misses mooney, 189 collins street -- melbourne (vic.), fashion -- 1930s

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.This 1930s dress and jacket is one of a number of items donated to the Fashion Collection by Teresa Mayer.Long burgundy machine-made lace evening dress with a separate red underslip. The dress is currently paired with a red velvet jacket and belt which it is believed was part of the original donation by Teresa Mayer.evening dresses, australian fashion - 1930s, women's clothing, evening wear, evening ensembles

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.The V&A's history of fashion describes 1930s dresses as characterised by '... a slinky femininity... Parisian couturiers introduced the bias-cut into their designs, which caused the fabric to skim over the body's curves. Long, simple and clinging evening gowns, made of satin were popular. Often the dresses had low scooping backs'.Full length floral crepe evening dress with squared neck and short puffed sleeves.australian fashion - 1930s, women's clothing, evening dresses

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of fashion accessories, inherited, owned, used and or donated by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Black velvet belt with metal and bakelite clasp, 1930sfashion accessories, clothing accessories, belts

176 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 27 cm.non-fictionEXHIBITION CATALOGUES &​ SPECIFIC COLLECTIONS. Spanning four centuries, the V&​A's Fashion Collection is the most comprehensive in the world, housing unrivaled collections of dress,accessories, shoes and hats from the 17th century to the present day. This thoroughly revised and redesigned edition shows the collection, from rare eighteenth-century gowns and exquisite bodices to 1930s evening wear, post-war couture, and showstopping ensembles by contemporary designers. Among the designers featured are Charles Frederick Worth, Madeleine Vionnet, Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Mary Quant, Stephen Jones, Vivienne Westwood, and Alexander McQueen.fashion design - history - exhibitions., fashion - history - pictorial works., victoria and albert museum -- catalogs.

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Black silk velvet waist length evening jacket with beige silk lining. The jacket closed with a single large button at the front. It features narrow cuffs. The jacket (and or outfit) has been dated to the 1930s.women's clothing, evening wear, evening jackets, australian fashion - 1930s

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. This 1930s evening dress is one of a number of items donated by Teresa Mayer.Deep rust coloured three-quarter length crepe dress featuring extensive ruching on the bodice and to the short sleeves. A bow of the same fabric with hanging laces (sic) is attached at the neck. The garment has been dated to the 1930s.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, day wear, day dresses

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. This evening dress is one of a number of items donated by Teresa Mayer.Full length black lace evening dress with a fitted black silk lining. The ‘v’ necked gown has a very full skirt. The lace has an abstract floral pattern. The garment has been dated to the 1930s.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, evening dresses, evening wear

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Full length black lace evening dress with a fitted black silk lining. The ‘v’ necked gown has a very full skirt. The lace has an abstract floral pattern. The garment was previously dated to the 1930s.costumes, evening dresses, fashion - 1930s, fashion design

This dress was made for Frieda Ellen Hambrook, by a friend who lived at 'Overton' in Kew. Frieda, a teacher, wore the dress to a ball which took place, coincidentally, on 3 November 1939. The dress was inherited by Frieda's daughter, Kew Historical Society member, Margaret Robinson, and donated to the Society in 2023.Very full floral cotton skirt.Worn by Frieda Hambrook in 1939 on the day that Australia declared war on Axis Pact members in 1939.evening dresses, fashion -- 1930s, frieda ellen hambrook

Latiners was a Melbourne millinery company owned by Rupert Vincent Kirsch during the 1930s and 1940s. Originally located at 310 Flinders-lane, in 1934 the company shifted to 20 Dawson Street Brunswick. An article in the Melbourne Age newspaper recorded that the (illustrated) extensive factory was nearlng completion.(The Age, 10 July 1934). As well as producing hats in the factory, Latiners also imported hats into Australia. The Dawson Street factory is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Database as 'Of regional significance as one of the largest hat manufacturing businesses in Melbourne and architecturally important for its bold use of rendered forms.'The Kew Historical Society’s fashion and design collection is comprised of costumes, hats, shoes and personal accessories. Many of these items were purchased or handmade in Victoria; some locally in Kew. The extensive hat collection comprises items dating from the 1860s to the 1970s. While most of the hats in the collection were created by milliners for women, there are a number of early and important men’s hats in the collection. The headwear collection is particularly significant in that it includes the work of notable Australian and international milliners.Deep purple coloured straw girls’ hat retailed by Latiners featuring a maroon ribbon at the base of the crown and a multicoloured fabric posy of flowers on the rim. The straw hat is irregularly layered to give the impression of folds.Label: Latinerslatiners -- 310 flinders lane, latiners - dawson street -- brunswick, rupert vincent kirsch, women's clothing -- hats

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Full length long sleeved dark green silk velvet evening coat buttoned to three quarter length at the front with buttons of the same colour and fabricwomen's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, evening wear, coat dresses

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Full length coffee coloured organza sleeveless evening gown with a raised chenille pink chrysanthemum pattern.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, dresses

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Long sleeved three quarter length black dress with pink insertions and a stylised pink emblem on the bodice. The pink lining is pleated to provide extra body.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, dresses, fashion and textiles collection

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Three quarter length dress of ecru needle-run lace with pearl buttons at front to waist and green under slip.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, cocktail dresses, lace dresses

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Dark blue ruched crushed velvet evening jacket with a wine coloured trim. The waisted jacket has a scalloped hem at the front.australian fashion -- 1930s, evening jackets, evening wear

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. This dress was worn by Kew resident Lilian Cohen.The McIntyre Collection of clothing and clothing accessories forms one of the largest single donations to our Fashion & Design collection. It includes clothing and clothing accessories worn by four women in the Cohen and McIntyre families across three generations. The items worn by Melbourne architect, and Kew resident, Dione McIntyre date from the 1960s and 1970s, and include evening wear, day wear, hats and shoes. As Dione McIntyre often accompanied her husband, fellow architect Peter McIntyre, to formal events, there are a number of pieces of evening wear among the items. The McIntyre Collection also includes items worn by women of an earlier generation: by Lilian Cohen, Dione McIntyre's mother, and by her mother-in-law, the wife of the architect Robert McIntyre. At the other end of the chronological spectrum are a number of outfits belonging to, worn and donated by Annie McIntyre. These include outfits created by notable late 20th century Australian and/or international fashion designers. The McIntyre Collection is significant historically and artistically as it includes examples of design that demonstrate changing tastes in fashion over an 80-year period. The collection is also significant in that it includes the work of a large number of Melbourne designers from the 1960s to the 1980s. Cream-coloured drop waisted handmade dress, using machine made lace and added lace trim. The dress is missing its underdress.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, lace dressses, mcintyre collection

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. This dress is one of a number donated to the collection by Rosemary Vaughan-Smith.Full length multi-coloured striped satin dress cut on the bias. This style became popular in the 1930s.women's clothing, australian fashion - 1930s, evening dresses, rosemary vaughan-smith

This coat belonged to Brighton resident Audrey Winifred Pickett (nee Heriot; 1915-2011). The coat is made from the pelts of rakali, also known as the Australian water rat, a native rodent species similar to an otter. Growing up to 35 centimetres in length, rakali typically live in burrows near water, feeding on fish, insects, yabbies and waterbirds. Throughout the early twentieth century, they were widely considered to be a nuisance and were hunted for their soft and waterproof fur. Demand for rakali pelts increased during the 1930s Depression years, when a ban was placed on the import of overseas furs; rakali fur became a popular substitute for the fur of the American muskrat. The species was placed under a protection order in 1938, although periodic culls were allowed until 1957 due to their perceived destruction of irrigation banks and fishing nets. Audrey recalled that the coat was made for her by furrier F. J. Ellemor after a large cull of rakali. The coat was displayed in the window of Ellemor's Block Place store. F. J. Ellemor Pty Ltd was established in 1908 by furrier Francis John Ellemor (1867-1944) and continued into the late twentieth century under the management of his son Wilfred (1801-1972). Francis and his wife Edith lived in Rothesay Avenue, Brighton from the late 1930s.Three-quarter length brown fur coat made of Australian water-rat (rakali) pelts. Wide raised collar and cuffs. Fastens centre front with two large hooks and eyes. Lined with chocolate brown silk satin.Label, woven brown on beige silk, centre back neck: created by / F. J. Ellemor / FURRIERS / MELBOURNEfur coat, rakali, australian water rat, melbourne fashion, audrey winifred heriot, audrey winifred pickett, audrey winifred north, francis john ellemor, f. j. ellemor, furrier