Strike a pose at Vogue exhibition
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The National Portrait Gallery will reopen its revamped main gallery space to the public with a (fashionable) bang when it launches into spring with a suitably stylish exhibition.
Women in Vogue: Celebrating 60 years in Australia will be the first big feature exhibition the gallery has held since closing its doors for refurbishment in April.
A collaboration between the gallery and Vogue Australia, the retrospective will showcase 60 years of the Vogue Australia archive.
It features striking portrait photography by past fashion-forward photographers including Irving Penn, Lord Snowdon and Helmut Newton, as well as vintage Vogue Australia covers and stunning fashions from the time.
Fernanda Ly photographed by Nicole Bentley Vogue 2015. Courtesy VOGUE Australia and Nicole Bentley.
National Portrait Gallery assistant curator Aimee Board says the gallery has been “working closely together” with Vogue Australia and delving into its archives.
“The exhibition is casting a lens on women’s identity in Australia. It’s one lens, of course – a very glamorous lens,” Aimee says.
“It’s quite interesting to look back and reflect on how far we’ve come as women from the mid 20th century to the present day and how the socio-political changes are reflected in the fashions from era to era.”
Aimee says while the exhibition isn’t “laid out in a strict chronological flow,” it will be framed around three key narratives: Looking Back, Looking Out, and Looking Forward.
In the Looking Back section, gallery-goers can strike a pose and snap a selfie from the “red carpet” in front of a wall of selected Vogue Australia covers from different decades.
Vogue Australia, June 2010 Samantha Harris photographed by Nicole Bentley Courtesy VOGUE Australia.
Audiences can also view a selection of vintage covers from the early days including the very first cover from the Spring Summer issue in 1959, right up to recent editions.
“I found it interesting to reflect on how those women who appeared on the covers have become more and more influential throughout the decades, from unidentified models who were but mere mannequins photographed for their trendy hairstyle, hats and makeup, to the leading ladies of the 70s and 80s and beyond who have a real voice and influence.”
Aimee says fashion in the sixties reflected the socio-political climate of post-world War II Australia, and the unrest of youth.
“There was a real rebellion against conservatism and the oppressive, gendered ‘happy-homemaker’ role, and this was reflected through the fashions. Of course, in the 60s the sexual revolution took hold and the women’s lib movement emerged, at the same time hemlines inched high and higher in response. Women wanted to break free from the good mother stereotype; they began to see something more for themselves and dared to envisage themselves as having more to contribute in the wider world. We see this freedom of expression reflected in the looser free-form lines of the Mod look and then into the 70s with the hippy-boho kaftan look.”
Adut Akech photographed by Charles Dennington Vogue 2018 Courtesy VOGUE Australia and Charles Dennington.
Fashionistas can admire a 1968 black and white silk evening kaftan by designer Zara Holt (made by Magg in Melbourne), and a 1986 cut-out linen and silk dress by designer Martin Grant (made by Martin Grant Studios in Melbourne). Both are on loan from the National Gallery of Victoria.
“Another thing to note about this period is the introduction of synthetic fabrics. Women moved differently, expressing themselves through the feel of the fabric, they changed up the style dramatically. It’s quite a defining period.”
Moving on to the Looking Out section, the emphasis is on a cross-section of Australian women who have broken through the glass ceiling in their given field.
There’s a special tribute to some of the women who have become international influencers and graced the pages of Vogue Australia, including Miranda Tapsell, Julie Bishop, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Cate Blanchett, Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson, and Margot Robbie.
“As we moved into the eighties and nineties, we see in the pages of Vogue Australia the rise of celebrity culture, the rise of the first supermodels such as Elle (The Body) and pop-stars like pop-princess Kylie who continue to inspire us. Other incredible women featured include rising-star Miranda Tapsell and of course the formidable Julie Bishop. All these women have taken it to the world stage and are iconic in their own unique way,” Aimee says.
Vogue Cover Image April 2018 Fernanda Ly, Akiima Ajak, Charlee Fraser ,Andreja Pelic photographed by Patrick Demarchelier Courtesy VOGUE Australia and Patrick Demarchelier.
In the Looking Forward section, the focus is on the Millennial Woman, with portraits of culturally and gender-diverse supermodels Akiima Ajak, Adut Akech, Charlee Fraser Fernanda Ly and Andreja Pejić, photographed by acclaimed fashion photographers Patrick Demarchelier, Charles Dennington, and Nicole Bentley.
“The Millennial Woman is aware of inclusivity, she’s aware of diversity, she is all about equality and she gives voice to what she believes in. One might read their layered fashion as an extension of their multi-faceted selves – reflecting the complexity of the world in which we live.” Aimee says.
Vogue Cover, December 2018 Adut Akech photographed by Charles Dennington Vogue 2018 Courtesy VOGUE Australia and Charles Dennington.
Vogue Australia Editor-In-Chief Edwina McCann says being invited to exhibit at the gallery was “a real honour.”
She says she’s proud of the direction Vogue Australia has taken under her editorship, including using a greater diversity of models, and appointing a sustainability editor.
“We were founded by a Jewish German refugee in 1959 who had big dreams about what Australia could be—it was a very aspirational ideal at the time,” she says.
“Adut is a Sudanese refugee who settled in Australia with her family through a Kenyan refugee camp and I think the connection between our founder and Adut is quite poignant for us.”
the essentials
What: Women in Vogue: Celebrating 60 years in Australia exhibition
Where: National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
When: 11 October to 24 November
Cost: Tickets are now on sale ($12 adults, $10 concession, under 18 years free). Her Canberra readers receive a special discounted price $10
Web: portrait.gov.au
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