NATIONAL: Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy will shortly be making their presence felt in Australia. Bendigo Art Gallery, in regional Victoria, has secured the exclusive rights to stage what is touted as the largest exhibition of haute couture in this country with more than 250 pieces from some of the world's greatest international designers.
Showcasing more than 100 complete haute couture dresses and evening gowns the exhibition - dubbed The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947 to 1957 - also features selections of finely crafted textiles , design books, illustrations, accessories and fashion photography.
Bendigo Art Gallery director Karen Quinlan said a highlight of the collection was a Zemire evening jacket and skirt.
"[It is] one of Dior's most distinctive designs, of which no example was previously thought to have survived. A scarlet version of the skirt, jacket and bodice to be included in the exhibition was found recently in a cellar by the River Seine in Paris."
The exhibition, developed by London's Victoria & Albert Musemum, opens in December.