The Powerhouse Museum has acquired the archive collection of Australian fashion house Studibaker Hawk.
The acquisition involves 22 garments that will join four Studibaker Hawk dresses already in the Powerhouse collection, alongside conceptual and fashion illustrations, screen-printed textile lengths, silkscreens, fashion photography, catalogues, look books, media scrapbooks and posters.
Studibaker Hawk’s dresses combine original textile prints (often worked in metallic-based inks and glitter) with sculptural silhouettes. Production is highly labour intensive with rolls of fabric screen-printed by hand on long tables and heat set in tumble dryers.
The construction of each dress incorporates metres of screen-printed fabric cut into layered flounces with padded and wired hems, then trimmed with applied diamantes and feathers.
Co-founder Janelle Miles noted that her work was inspired by 1940s and 1950s fashion, the full-skirted evening gowns of Christian Dior and bustled and corseted Victorian silhouettes.
In contrast, she also cited London's punk scene (which she experienced in the late 1970s) as an influence, which freed up her notions of dress design, construction and materials.
“This collection has been in hibernation and stored up since the early 90s,” Miles said. “I am so appreciative that the Powerhouse has recognised its importance to the Australian Fashion Industry and has seen fit to take it into the permanent collection to be preserved and cherished in posterity.”
Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havilah welcomed the Studibaker Hawk as an addition to its archive collection.
“These garments and design materials demonstrate the designers’ exceptional skill and creativity and capture a unique moment in Australia’s history,” Havilah said. “The Powerhouse collection is made richer through this important acquisition and we look forward to sharing this collection with our communities and audiences into the future.”
Established by Janelle Miles (née Smith), David Miles and Wendy Arnold in 1982, the signature Studibaker Hawk dress, with its original textile prints and sculptural silhouette, has been worn by Kylie Minogue, Jerry Hall, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and Rachel Griffiths.
Meanwhile, Powerhouse is undergoing a $1.4 billion infrastructure renewal program, spearheaded by the launch of Powerhouse Parramatta, expanded research and public facilities at Powerhouse Castle Hill and the renewal of the iconic Powerhouse in Ultimo.
Australian designer Akira Isogawa joins a team of architects currently overseeing the Ultimo site revamp.
The museum is custodian to over half a million objects of local and international origin.