North Sydney, N.S.W. : Random House Australia, 2008 281 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm.non-fictionThe world of fashion is both highly artistic and highly challenging, with top designers balancing delicately between the cutting edge of creativity and the necessity of running a viable business. In this enthralling collection of interviews, David Meagher talks to top designers the world over, the people whose vision shapes the contemporary and future fashion. The designers—among them Marc Jacobs, Karen Walker, Martin Grant, Christopher Bailey of Burberry, and John Goot—talk about where they've come from, where they're headed, and their philosophy of design. Gorgeously illustrated throughout with full-color photographs from the catwalks of London, Paris, Milan, and New York, this is a fascinating insight into the minds shaping fashion today.fashion - history, fashion - interviews, fashion designers

This overcoat was designed and tailored by Dominex, a company that sold clothing in high end department stores such as Myer and David Jones in the 1940s through to the 2000s. As pictured in the accompanying advertising, Dominex looked to produce clothes for women to “casually, confidently wear … the exquisite styling and superb tailoring of… Dominex Coats”. This sentiment was carried by the company for more than 60 years. Amanda Morgan, a director of the Dominex fashion label in an interview from 2003 said “Not everybody wants sass, or sex, or high fashion for that matter. Au contraire. Our customers will be stylish, sophisticated and womanly, but we don’t do shoestring straps or asymmetrical lines." Dominex was a label specialising in exceptional quality "traditional" dressing for corporate wear. Their clothes looked to provide women with a return to the tried and true values of elegant, unpretentious, classic dressing. "Our look is European-influenced," Morgan explained further. "Inspired by Armani, Valentino, Chanel and Escada. Suits have been specially dyed in France to ensure the perfect shade of ice blue, lemon, grey, or slate. Fabrics are natural, silk and linen. Shapes are stylish, with an almost 1930s feel; classic pants, silk shirts, structured overcoats with elegant-length” Returning to this overcoat, it has a label on the inside which reads “Pure Wool Material by Godfrey Hirst of Geelong”. Nowadays Godfrey Hirst produce flooring products and are the largest manufacturer and exporter of residential and commercial carpets in Australasia. They have expanded into hard flooring and left their fashion days behind. This overcoat serves as a useful example of a different time for the company; before they made the change to concentrating exclusively on flooring, when they produced fabrics to be tailored for the height of Australian fashion. This overcoat was purchased and worn by Joan Waller, aunty of the donor, Kim Rosenow. Kim said her aunty was from Ballarat but frequently shopped in Melbourne to keep up with the latest trends. Her aunty Joan fitted the target demographic of Dominex well, as she needed to look sophisticated and elegant at social events and work. Kim donated the overcoat to the National Wool Museum in 2021. Green singled breasted overcoat with a narrow overlap and one column of buttons for fastening. The overcoat features notched lapels of a medium width and two large buttons of a green & dark green marble. The overcoat has two semi-visible jetted pockets at the hips. Internally, the overcoat features a black silk lining for comfort. It also features a stitched patch on the left side of the opening which reads “Pure Wool Material by Godfrey Hirst of Geelong”. At the collar, another patch reads “Dominex REGD”. At the cuffs, the overcoat finishes in a type of gauntlet cuff which stretches back over 200mm. The decorative finish utilises no buttons and has thick piping to accentuate this design feature. The overcoat finishes with a simple invisible hem at the bottom.Wording, gold. Patch stitched at collar: “DomineX / REGD.” Wording, black. Patch stitched at left off opening: “PURE WOOL MATERIAL BY / Godfrey Hirst / OF GEELONG”dominex, fashion, women's corporate wear, godfrey hirst, overcoat, wool clothing

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 example of evening wear from 1980 is one of two pieces in the collection owned and worn by Kaye Cole.This dress was bought for and worn by Cr Kaye Cole, Mayor of Kew 1979/80, to a Mayoral Dinner on Friday 25 July 1980. An accompanying seating plan lists the attendees including the Governor of Victoria, the Victorian Premier, State and Federal parliamentary representatives and distinguished guests from neighbouring municipalities. The evening dress was donated to the Society by Kaye Cole on the occasion of an interview on 6 August 2018 relating to the period on which she served on Kew Council as a representative of North Ward (1973-6) and Prospect Ward (1978-85) and her achievements as mayor.Brown acetate evening gown, and floor-length evening coat retailed by Bianca, Sydney, and manufactured under licence to Henry Chavan, Lyon & Paris. The sheer fabric of the coat is decorated by the use of pile weave, forming a floral pattern of velvet outlined in gold thread.mayors of kew (vic), cr. kaye cole, international fashion - france - henry chavin, women's clothing, evening wear, fashion retailers - bianca - sydney, evening dresses, evening ensembles

New York: Reporter Publications, 1953-1983. Hardcover. A broken run of this remarkable publishing venture, providing insight into the fashion of the day, fabric swatches, history of textile design, interviews with designers, etc.18 unique magazines containing multiple years. An invaluable reference tool for researching American lifestyle, tastes, fashion, style and fabrics as they evolved from the end of World War II to the dawn of feminism. With real vintage fabric swatches in each issue. Each issue is profusely illustrated with color photography and fashion illustration, as well as with beautifully designed covers by important artists. Such design magazines were utilised by Australian designers to help inspiration for the upcoming season's fashion. Such magazines were not cheap, compared to an international business trip however, they are seen as affordable to the point of being invaluable. 18 unique magazines from American Fabrics. First issue is from 1948 with latest from 1968. Colourful external covers with internal pages containing a mixture of black & white pages, colour pages and fabric swatches. Images of front and back cover are visible within media as well as contents of all 18 copies, particular articles of interest are obtainable by contacting the National Wool Museumtextile design, 1940s-1960s

Illustrated book with dustjacket. Book has a black cover with title, author's name and Australian Army badge embossed in gold on spine. Front of dustjacket has a black and white photo 'Westen Australian night nurses in 14 AGH, Abbassia, Egypt in 1918. Under this part of tile is printed in dark grey and red brown on a cream background. Rest of title is printed in white on a dark grey band. Authors name is printed in white on a red brown background. Title and authors name are printed in white on a red brown background along with Australian Army Badge (gold) and publisher's mark. On the back of the dustjacket is a summary of the book printed on a cream background, below which is a black and white photo 'No 2 Australian General Hospital, Mena, Egypt, January 1915non-fictionThe author draws on personal diaries, interviews, service records, hospital diaries and autobiographies to create an absorbing and meticulously constructed book showcasing the breadth and significance of the contributions Army nurses made during World War I. In becoming part of the AIF these women fashioned the role of the Australian military nurseaustralian army nurses, military nursing-australia-history, nurses-australia-history, world war 1914-1918 - medical care, alfred nurses

One of three We The Makers videos commissioned by the Programs and Education department at the National Wool Museum to assist in learning and engagement alongside the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025 exhibition at the National Wool Museum. The films feature artist interviews from three finalists from We the Makers, providing insights into their personal influences, the motivations behind their material choices and the impact of culture on artistic practice. This film features designer Corin Corcoran and their work 'Sustain Our Stains'. Artist Statement: This work explores the tension between what we discard and what remains. The dress is a meditation on waste, memory, and the marks we leave behind — often without realising. Constructed from reclaimed textiles, the surface has been stained using collected metal waste. Rust, born from decay, becomes the medium through which this piece tells its story. These marks aren’t artificial embellishments — they are scars left by objects that were once useful, now forgotten. The process of rusting becomes a slow, quiet collaboration between time, weather, and the materials we throw away. At the heart of this work is the idea that nothing truly disappears. Even in decay, objects carry history — and they imprint that history onto the world around them. The rusted stains serve as a metaphor for the often-invisible impact of human consumption. We discard things — metal scraps, clothing, time, people — without thinking about the residue they leave behind. This dress captures those traces, preserving them in a way that’s both intimate and unsettling. The piece asks the viewer to consider the long life of what we call waste. It challenges us to look more closely at what we overlook, and to understand that the things we abandon continue to speak, to stain, to shape. In a world striving for sustainability, perhaps we must also learn to sustain our stain — to acknowledge and carry the weight of our impact, rather than pretending it disappears. This is a dress made not only from waste, but with waste — a collaboration with rust, with the discarded, with the forgotten — inviting reflection on permanence, responsibility, and the quiet weight of residue.Three minute fifty one second digital video file with audio.fashion, sustainability, design, we the makers, film, documentary, artist, corin corcoran, education

One of three We The Makers videos commissioned by the Programs and Education department at the National Wool Museum to assist in learning and engagement alongside the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025 exhibition at the National Wool Museum. The films feature artist interviews from three finalists from We the Makers, providing insights into their personal influences, the motivations behind their material choices and the impact of culture on artistic practice. This film features designer Abha Gupta and her work '1608'. Artist Statement: ‘16o8' collection by designer Abha Gupta pays tribute to the historic moment when the British first arrived in India, a pivotal event that reshaped the country's fashion landscape for over two centuries. She launched this collection under her brand name, ‘Antiek East’. Designed under the mentorship of RMIT professor Blake Barns, the collection draws inspiration from the era of British colonisation, reflecting its profound influence on Indian fashion history. Drape suit jacket in the collection is meticulously handwoven and handmade by local artisans using natural fibres, embodying a commitment to traditional craftsmanship. Beyond creating aesthetically compelling garments, ‘16o8’ project served as a catalyst for social impact. By prioritising fair wages and opportunities for marginalised communities, she uplifted artisans and craftspeople, embedding sustainability across all levels and stages of her endeavour. This commitment not only resonated through the ethical sourcing of materials but also through the conscientious production practices that minimise environmental impact. Circular design principles guided the approach of this project, emphasising materials that are biodegradable and minimise environmental impact. Natural dyeing processes not only uphold traditional craftsmanship but also reduce harmful chemical runoff into ecosystems. By choosing sustainable fabrics and methods, the project aimed to create garments that are not only beautiful but also ethically and environmentally sound.Three minute eighteen second digital video with audio. abha gupta, fashion, designer, film, we the makers, sustainability, textiles

One of three We The Makers videos commissioned by the Programs and Education department at the National Wool Museum to assist in learning and engagement alongside the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025 exhibition at the National Wool Museum. The films feature artist interviews from three finalists from We the Makers, providing insights into their personal influences, the motivations behind their material choices and the impact of culture on artistic practice. This film features designer Max Bell and his work 'Transfiguration'. Artist Statement: This collection, ‘Transfiguration’, originally stems from the way Brutalist architecture spaces, commonly cold and geometric, have been transformed with plants and organic matter to create an interesting dichotomy. Max translates this to his collection through viewing it as a growing canvas with the collection beginning as geometric and technological based looks to then morphing into an ethereal and organic look with the garments being taken over by moss slowly growing on the collection. Max has depicted this moss through the rug making process of tufting, highlighting the differing greens and levels throughout through a mastery of these skills. These processes are then depicted onto silhouettes commonly within the gorpcore aesthetic further promoting the outdoor element of the collection. Max utilises a series of ripstop fabrics and technical style nylons commonly associated with the outdoors which is juxtaposed by the wool yarn of the tufting promoting themes of renewability and nature. This works represents his design aesthetic through common use of functional fabrics, a fascination with textures and use of uncommon fabrics to try and create an innovative design or to explore an untapped idea. Through this collection the sustainable practice arises from the use of dead stock fabrics and primary use of wool yarn a notoriously renewable material that leaves a positive impact.Three minute and eleven second digital video with audio. fashion, design, max bell, we the makers, sustainability, textiles