BHS CollectionLong sleeved full length dress of black synthetic silk fabric. Fabric has silken feel with a smooth satin like backing. Front has U shaped neckline with panel of cream silk lace extending from shoulder to below neckline(28cm). Back neckline faced with lace fabric. Front and back have a narrow central panel(16cm) of fabric extending from shoulders to hemline. The panels are extended at the waistline to join the front and back with loose tabs.The centre panel on the front bodice is edged with a finely pleated frill of synthetic fabric. The centre panels at front and back are also edged with finely pleated frills, from 42cms above hemline to the hem. The bodice is completed with side panels attached to the centre panel The skirt is completed with side panels attached to the centre panels. Set in sleeves have a squared extension that extends to the elbow. From the elbow the sleeves taper to narrow fitting at the wrist. The upper seam of the sleeves from the elbow to the wrist are edged with a finely pleated frill of synthetic fabric. The upper seam of each sleeve from elbow to wrist have fifteen decorative back and gold buttons stitched along the lower edge of the frill. Dress is unlinedcostume, female, black synthetic silk dress

Founded in Ballarat, Victoria in 1888 by Eleanor Lucas, by the mid-20th century, the Lucas Clothing Factory employed hundreds of local workers (popularly known as the "Lucas Girls"). The company was a pioneer in Australian textiles, producing the country's very first knitted nylon tricot and manufacturing luxury Vanity Fair lingerie under license for the domestic market. As Lucas shifted from utility wear and intimate apparel into upscale daytime and evening wear during the 1940s and 1950s, they launched specialised fashion lines. The Jill Heriote line was created as their signature high-end ready-to-wear and cocktail range. The line became widely celebrated for its elite tailoring, structure, and use of both premium local and imported fabrics Designers working under this line, such as Eve Ogilvie, translated sophisticated European aesthetic trends directly to the Australian market.This garment represents a pinnacle of mid-century regional Australian fashion manufacturing. Operating from Ballarat, Victoria, E. Lucas & Co. utilised elite local designers to compete directly with imported European couture houses. The gown showcases the firm’s pioneering expertise in fine, permanent textile pleating, applied here to luxury pure silk rather than everyday synthetics.This bias-cut silk and lace cocktail dress sold under the label 'Jill Heriote' for the House of Lucas, Ballarat, features a narrow waist and a dramatically flared skirt. The overdress is constructed from intricate, black imitation Valenciennes machine-made lace. It layers over a cream silk taffeta underdress that shows through the openwork and extends structurally past the hemline. The bodice is designed with shoulder straps leading into a sweetheart neckline. Its form-fitting structure showcases panels of finely pleated black silk, creating texture across the bust. Below, the full skirt alternates between sheer black lace segments and contrasting horizontal bands of smooth black silk.Label" 'LUCAS / Jill Heriote / in pure silk fabric'jill heriote, house of lucas -- ballarat (vic.), fashion -- 1950s, cocktail dresses, manufacturing -- ballarat

Operating heavily in the late mid-century, Smaragd of Melbourne was a premium boutique Australian label that catered to high-end social calendars, formal galas, and evening wear markets. During this era, Melbourne was firmly established as Australia’s fashion manufacturing capital. Labels like Smaragd competed directly with high-end European and American imports by offering local consumers equivalent luxury, using specialized, imported embellishments and meticulous, small-batch boutique construction. This ensemble is typical of mid-to-late 20th-century Australian fashion design, showcasing the exceptional structural tailoring and high-glamour aesthetic of the period. The inclusion of the matching cropped jacket reflects the transitional styling of late-1960s to 1970s evening wear, designed for formal modesty that could be removed for evening events. The use of heavy bullion embroidery or relief passamanerie highlights the reliance of local couture houses on advanced, labor-intensive hand-finishing techniques. This level of craftsmanship stands in stark contrast to the mass-manufacturing shift that would dominate the global fashion industry in the decades to follow. As an "Exclusive of Melbourne" garment, the piece holds strong regional significance to the history of the Australian textile trade. The preserved, illustrated "mod-style" label serves as an excellent artifact of graphic design history, capturing the youthful, playful marketing shift that defined the post-war youth culture boom in Australia.Two-piece evening ensemble comprising a strapless column gown and a coordinating cropped evening jacket. The floor-length gown features a highly structured, fitted bodice with internal boning and a classic sweetheart neckline. The skirt is tailored into a sleek, narrow column silhouette. The accompanying long-sleeved satin jacket is cropped to fit precisely over the gown’s waistline, featuring a rounded neckline, a concealed front closure, and tailored sleeves. Crafted from a heavy, high-sheen black evening fabric (consistent with silk or premium synthetic satin/mikado blend of the era). he neckline of the jacket (and the underlying gown) features a heavy, raised, three-dimensional metallic embellishment. The textured gold work is indicative of heavy bullion embroidery—a technique utilizing twisted, coiled metallic wire threads couched into dense, sculptural relief patterns to catch light. The garment contains a woven fabric manufacturer's label reading "Smaragd Exclusive of Melbourne / Size 12". The label is distinguished by a blue, stylized graphic illustration of a wide-eyed, curly-haired "mod doll," characteristic of commercial art from the late 1960s to mid-1970s.Label: SMARAGD EXCLUSIVE OF MELBOURNE. SIZE 12fashion - australia - melbourne, smaragd of melbourne, women's clothing, evening dresses, fashion design, clothing -- 1970s