The inaugural exhibition of pop-up NZ Fashion Museum launched tonight at Gus Fisher Gallery with a sardine-full room of well-heeled El Jay clients, fashion students and a smattering of designers attending in homage to the iconic brand…
Looking Terrific: The story of El Jay
Gus Fisher Gallery Auckland
The inaugural exhibition of pop-up NZ Fashion Museum launched tonight at Gus Fisher Gallery with a sardine-full room of well-heeled El Jay clients, fashion students and a smattering of designers attending in homage to the iconic brand.
"I can smell the Elnett in the air" quipped Iona as we walked up the grand entrance steps into the gallery in inner city Auckland. Gus Fisher is hosting the museum’s first ever exhibition, of his own brand, El Jay, a label which held the Dior licence longest in the world. After six weeks here, the exhibition will travel south to Wellington department store Kirkcaldie & Staines.
The next exhibition from the fashion museum without walls will be on tee-shirts, with the public invited to email Doris de Pont digital pictures of NZ-made tee-shirts, from which she’ll choose and curate a collection. "We wanted to go in the opposite direction from vintage!" says Dianne Ludwig. A future exhibition down the track will be on Slow Fashion, and needs a venue to link in with the theme of knitting and crocheting, such as a wool shop. Thread suggested the Tolaga Bay mills!
The 67 garments on display come alive with blurbs from their owners giving a short synopsis of their history. One was worn to a daughter’s wedding in Palmerston North, another on a date with the love of her life.
Fashion designer Beth Ellery spoke, saying how when she learned of El Jay’s Dior licence, she thought Gus Fisher to be "a pioneer in the internationalisation of New Zealand fashion."
Marion wearing El Jay, Tanya Carlson and Adrian Hailwood.
Gus Fisher signing programmes for guests, with Doris de Pont, curator and originator of the museum without walls. Doris said, "This is a room full of frocks, but it’s much more than that; this is a roomful of stories."
Fashion is a glimpse into our past and etiquette and social customs. "A dress appropriate for shopping in town was not at all appropriate for afternoon tea!" she said. "The research has lead to conversations with El Jay employees; manufacturers and retailers of the New Zealand fashion industry."
Advance of the Red Coats.
Kate Hannah and sister, Jane Apperley, both in vintage.
El Jay party dress in pink taffeta.
Christine and Iona admiring the Christian Dior Pret-a-porter by El Jay printed silk chiffon evening dress with corsage. 1977.
El Jay clients revist their collections.
El Jay men’s and women’s coats made of Ultrasuede, not entirely dissimilar to this grey gallery chair adjacent to them.
1940s and 50s wool crepe coats and mustard linen two piece suit c.1962.
Rachel Osborne in vintage, and Helene Ravlich in Ingrid Starnes.
And one for my Mum; me wearing my mother’s El Jay blue ultrasuede coat, with Kate Hannah.
By Megan Robinson, 4 June 2010.
The Gus Fisher Gallery
74 Shortland Street Auckland.
Exhibition open 5 June to 15 July 2010. Free entry.
Tuesday – Friday 10am to 5pm
Saturday 12 – 4pm.
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