Blue woollen 'minicrini' by the British designer Vivienne Westwood. The items was donated by Annie McIntyre and probaly worn with an accompanying Westwoood twinset.
Significance
The McIntyre Collection of women's clothing and clothing accessories forms one of the largest single donations to the Kew Historical Society's costume collection. The Collection was assembled by Dione McIntyre, and her daughter Annie McIntyre, and donated in stages during the first decade of the 21st century. Items in the McIntyre Collection include clothing and clothing accessories worn by four women in the Cohen and McIntyre families across three generations. Most of the items in the McIntyre Collection were owned and worn by the Melbourne architect, and Kew resident, Dione McIntyre. These mainly date from the 1960s and 1970s, and include evening wear, day wear, hats and shoes. Examples of clothing worn by her range from a Norma Tullo mini-dress to elegant, tailored evening wear by Jinoel of Melbourne. As Dione McIntyre often accompanied her husband, fellow architect Peter McIntyre, to formal events, there are a number of pieces of high-quality evening wear among the items donated. The McIntyre Collection also includes items worn by woman in the family 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 international fashion designers such as Fiona Scanlan, Martin Grant and Vivienne Westwood. The McIntyre Collection is significant historically and artistically in that it includes examples of design that demonstrate changing tastes in fashion over an 80-year period. The collection is particularly important in that it includes the work of a large number of Melbourne fashion designers from the 1960s to the 1980s. This work is both representative, and now often rare.
Inscriptions & Markings
A note written by Dione McIntyre accompanying the item describes its relevance and use:
"Vivienne Westwood 3-piece ensemble purchased in London in the 1980s - consisting of navy 'twin set' and balloon skirt - worn with long white socks and dark flat shoes. Donated by Annie McIntyre."
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