Darnell Collection

Recent sensational Couture and Haute Couture donations to the Darnell Collection

2013-06-18T13:33:00.000+10:00

Escada Couture

Milo Schon

Attributed to Armani

Pierre Balmain

Mainbocher

Paco Rabanne

'Neo Nineties' Exhibition at Westfield Miranda, Sydney

2013-04-25T20:03:00.000+10:00

Illustration by Maddy Carroll

The 90s are back!!

At Westfield Miranda, an underground carpark was turned into a sleek 'pop-up museum' reminiscent of something only found in Paris!

38 mannequins, dressed and grouped according to popular 90s looks, including Designer, Goth, Grunge, Denim, Rock, Body Con, Flannel and Super Model, rocked! Video clips, pumping music and TV favourites like 'Friends', 'Melrose Place' and 'Sex and the City' made the 90s come alive again.

Dresses suitable for the 90s hit - 'Sex and the City'

A sequin bomber jacket from Canada and a leather skirt by Valentino

Suitable for a 'Super Model'

Denim

Grunge

'After Five: Fashion From the Darnell Collection' at Hazelhurst Art Gallery, Sydney

2013-04-22T07:57:00.000+10:00

Q & A and Lunch with Kirstie Clements at the Hazelhurst Art Gallery, Sydney

2013-04-22T07:43:00.003+10:00

With Kirstie and Brigitte (Brigitte Grant Photography).

Wearing a 60s chiffon dress from London.

All photographs by Brigitte Grant Photography

'Black Tie' catwalk event at the Golden Centre, Dunedin NZ

2013-04-15T20:26:00.001+10:00

Once again at the Golden Centre in Dunedin, South Island, and as part of iD Dunedin Fashion Week, Darnell was worn on several occasions. At this event, 'Black Tie', evening wear was featured as stunning models strutted the catwalk. BCBG, Jean Muir, Gene Kelly, velvets, silks and lames all made their mark on the 280-strong crowd of equally dress-up guests. And to end the collection, a bride wearing a 60s wool wedding dress, bedecked with lace flowers and appliqués, was escorted down the aisle. In celebration of Stephen Jones' attendance as the International Guest Exhibitor all the models wore hats from the Collection.

Darnell Collection at the Golden Centre, Dunedin, NZ

2013-04-13T09:24:00.000+10:00

The theme for the sell-out catwalk event, 'Darnell Renewed', at the Golden Centre in Dunedin, NZ was serious glamour. Outfits from the 60s to the 90s were sashayed down the catwalk. An unusual styling of hats and gloves from various decades added to the exuberance.

This was a show-stopping fashion experience! And it was exciting to be invited back as a guest of iD Dunedin Fashion Week's major sponsor, The Golden Centre.

Behind the Scenes: The photo shoot at Smartbox Storage in Sydney with Westfield Miranda and the Darnell Collection

2013-04-08T17:54:00.000+10:00

Another boring day at the office!!
(according to my West Highland Terrier!)

A stunning 1960s Anne Pakradooni silk hostess gown is scrutinised

All set for the shutter to click

Fresh flowers are photographed in bunches

Finished work of art on display on Level 5 at Westfield Miranda

Closeup of layers of colours, patterns and textures.
STUNNING!

'After Five: Fashion from the Darnell Collection' opens at Hazelhurst Art Gallery

2013-04-06T17:02:00.001+11:00

'After Five: Fashion from the Darnell Collection' celebrates the evolution of silhouettes, variations of hemlines, introduction of exciting new fabrics and a myriad of colours and patterns. Fashion from the Collection, from the 1920s to 2010, explores this beautiful journey. Many dresses on display have never been exhibited before and some are recent donations to the collection.

A selection of evening gowns in the 1980s heralds a return to formal party dresses and the desire to 'dress-up' again. Michelle Jank, with her Australian Merino wool creation from 2008, redefines this desire with dignity and extravagance.

'After Five' is on display at the Hazelhurst Art Gallery in Gymea until May 12th.

Admission is free.

www.hazelhurst.com.au

'An Afternoon with Phryne Fisher' and Kristen Dunphy at the Carrington Hotel

2013-04-05T14:39:00.000+11:00

The Roaring 20s Festival in the Blue Mountains ended with an insightful conversation and catwalk event. Kristen Dunphy, script writer for several series of the hugely popular ABC TV series, 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries', joined me in conversation at the Carrington Hotel to talk about an upcoming series, 'Murder A La Mode', set in a couturier's salon in Melbourne in the 1920s. Models wore 1920s Darnell that included day wear and evening dance dresses.
High tea was served in the Grand Dining room - so befitting an afternoon out for a posh 1920s socialite!

Matilda wears a heavy silk cloak and a dashing 20s hat

20s dresses float so beautifully with movement

Tamara wears a linen day dress and a pair of 1920s Bakelite driving googles

Olivia wears a silk velvet dance dress

Kristen Dunphy and I discuss an upcoming series of Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries

Hazelhurst Art Gallery Celebrity Lunch

2013-04-04T17:33:00.001+11:00

Stephen Jones and Kylie Minogue's Feather Headdress

2013-04-01T08:50:00.000+11:00

At the Golden Centre Club Couture lunch in Dunedin, NZ, Stephen Jones, the British milliner extraordinaire, brought a selection of his hats. One of these hats was the headdress he created for Kylie Minogue to wear at the closing ceremonies at the London Olympics. The headdress was made with turkey feathers that had been dipped in resin and then plated in gold.

AND I got to model it!!

Other lunch guests modelling Stephen Jones hats

Stephen Jones on the catwalk at iD Dunedin Fashion Week

Kylie wearing the headdress again at the Sydney 2013 Mardi Gras (SMH)

Watch the headdress in action on the iD Dunedin catwalk!!

South West Fashion Festival in Bunbury, WA

2013-04-01T08:14:00.001+11:00

The third South West Fashion Festival took place in Bunbury, 2 hours south of Perth, in early March. Fashion parades included garments by emerging and established designers from the South West. As part of their satellite fashion program, Darnell vintage was showcased at two events at TAFE. Stunning local models enhanced each outfit from the 20s to 90s. (Jo Bevis Photography)

www.swfashionfestival.com

L to R: 70s YSL and Lanvin, 60s Tania, 70s Jeunesse Couture

Westwood

1950s

60s Dior

60s Pierre Cardin

Love the orb buttons on the Westwood trousers

Wearing vintage Arthur Galan and Country Road

Hillscene Magazine photo shoot at Burrinja Cultural Centre

2013-03-31T11:30:00.005+11:00

Having fun wearing Darnell!

Exquisite collaboration of Darnell Vintage with new accessories from retailers at Westfield Miranda

2013-03-31T11:22:00.000+11:00

1980s lame dance disco dress

1960s velvet Ann Pakradooni gown

1960s wool Paganne dress

1960s velvet and diamante pant suit

1980s wool and velvet Thierry Mugler skirt suit

1960s wool Dior jumpsuit

1960s wool Leonard of Paris jumpsuit

1960s sequin Courreges mini dress

'After Five: fashion from the Darnell Collection' at Hazelhurst Art Gallery

2013-03-31T10:41:00.001+11:00

Wearing a 1960s Paganne wool dress (and Armani shoes)!

Fabulous 20s

Looking towards the 40s & 60s

1930s

Dior 2010

'After Five: Fashion from the Darnell Collection' opened at Hazelhurst Art Gallery on the 23rd March. 36 dresses showcase the spectacular fashions worn by women 'after five'. Designers include Dior, Fontana of Italy, Courreges, Pucci, Malcolm Starr, Ninette of Melbourne, Quant, Studebaker Hawk and many more. Fashion from the 1920s through to 2010 captures what was glamorous in each decade over seventy years. The exhibition is open until the 12th May. (more photos will be posted soon!)

World Record smashed at the Roaring 20s Festival in Leura NSW

2013-02-04T09:33:00.001+11:00

On Saturday February 2nd, (a rainy, cold and foggy summer's day!), a world record was smashed in Leura Mall. 285 dancers, dressed in 1920s outfits, danced the Charleston for 5 minutes non stop. Leura Mall was closed off, jazzy music blared from the speakers and the street was lined with bemused spectators.The Charleston Dance Off beat the world record set in Slovenia in 2009!!

I am sure I saw Daisy Buchanan, Lady Julia Flyte, Phryne Fisher, Al Capone and Buster Keaton kicking their heels up.

Get ready for next year's challenge - the first Saturday in February 2014.

Wearing a beautiful embroidered Chinese coat with a luxurious feather boa

Posing with the Winner - Best dressed Woman!

Keeping dry in the mountain mist with Ray Wiles, our MC

The countdown to setting the world record!

TV filming of 'Undergarments' with the Darnell Collection

2013-01-14T09:22:00.002+11:00

The picturesque and historic National Trust property, Woodford Academy in the Blue Mountains of NSW, was the venue for the filming of a documentary series featuring the history of undergarments. Crinolines, bustles, Victorian corsets and petticoats, and a smattering of 20th century bras, girdles and underwear from The Darnell Collection, were featured. Tamara was our obliging 'Victorian lass' who sported all sorts of undergarments. She was filmed descending a narrow staircase in her crinoline dress, just as a woman would have done at Woodford when it was an inn in the mid 1800s.
Victorian fashion brought Woodford Academy back to life for a day!

My assistants, Kirsten and Olivia, standing amidst a sea of petticoats in the original school room
(a handmade crinoline, made from garden tubing and hessian tape, waits to be used)

Tamara demonstrating what a crinoline dress looks like when seated

What is looks like underneath a crinoline dress!

Makeup stylist, Rachel, creates a soft, Victorian look

The camera crew filming Tamara as she descends the narrow Victorian staircase in her crinoline dress

A 20's Afternoon with Phryne Fisher & Darnell at the Carrington

2012-12-09T20:54:00.001+11:00

Vintage Fair at Blue Mountains Grammar School

2012-12-09T14:37:00.002+11:00

Blue Mountains Grammar School hosted the inaugural Vintage Fair. Claudia Chan Shaw, author (Collectomania) and panelist on ABC TV's 'Collectors', opened the fair. I hosted catwalk events throughout the day and was lucky enough to have students from the school parade in vintage Darnell!

(I'm wearing a 60s polyester jumpsuit and a silk jacket by Sass & Bide!)

Tess wears a silk taffeta party dress from the 1950s

Fleur does 'Phryne Fisher' and wears a stunning silk embroidered coat from the 20s

Olivia wears a silk satin strapless ballgown from the 50s

Grammar School students prepare for their moment on the catwalk as Claire is on the catwalk wearing an early 60s wool dress and matching coat

Samantha Blades Models Darnell for The Guide Dogs Event

2012-11-26T11:22:00.002+11:00

Australian Designers Josh Goot, Dion Lee and more celebrate wool with Prince Charles

2012-11-12T23:07:00.003+11:00

Five Australian fashion designers have met with Prince Charles during his Australian Tour visit to show off their wool creations in celebration of Australia’s wool industry.

Image Credit: Zimbio.com
As part of The Campaign For Wool, Josh Goot, Dion Lee, Kym Ellery, Camilla Freeman-Topper (of Camilla and Marc) and Akira Isogawa chatted with the prince, who is a patron of international campaign.
Dressing appropriately for the occasion Prince Charles wore a navy suit made of Australian merino wool from Tasmania and designed by UK tailors Anderson and Sheppard.

Hosted by the Australian Wool Innovation the event took place at
Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Prince even took the time to share a moment with a bottle-fed lamb from South Australia who during the event grazed on the balcony overlooking Sydney Harbour.

Renowned fashion designer Dion Lee, who won the $50,000 Australian prize for the prestigious International Woolmark competition in London earlier this year and is now in the running for the international Woolmark prize, showed the Prince his elegant and edgy tailored grey wool dress design. "It was a great opportunity to show my brand and the collection to Charles - it's obviously an opportunity that doesn't come around every day," Lee later told AAP.

Image Credit: The fashion creations on display, melissahoyer.com

The Sydney-based designer said Prince Charles approved of his winning creation, which features criss-cross rubber film down the back, softened with delicate black blended wool sleeves. "It was a highlight to be in a room with Prince Charles and with such esteemed members of the Australian fashion industry as well - it was a great moment" added Lee.

CEO of the Australian Wool Innovation Stuart McCullough said it was a great opportunity to meet with the Prince of Wales and be able to present Australia’s most prominent Campaign for Wool partners.

"With the support and endorsement of its patron, the global Campaign for Wool continues to connect to consumers around the world highlighting the benefits of wool in apparel and interiors" McCullough added.

The Campaign For Wool was launched globally on Australia Day 2010 in an effort to support struggling farmers.

Australia will launch its 2013 WOOL WEEK activities in April/May 2013.

'Latitude 37' wears DARNELL for a recent photo shoot

2012-09-28T17:36:00.000+10:00

60's Vintage

A pretty yellow embroidered dress by Mona Crawford, a blue lace evening dress and a stunning green silk satin opera coat, gloves and jewellery were chosen from a selection of elegant evening wear by styling consultant, Franco Schifilliti, for a recent photo shoot of 'Latitude 37'.

A very Melbourne event with Albert Comper photographing the trio at Northcote Town Hall.

Very cool! Very elegant! And I love those Mona Lisa smiles!

VINTAGE FAIR AT THE BLUE MOUNTAINS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

2012-09-09T07:00:00.000+10:00

Photo Shoot for Burrinja Cultural Centre with Brigitte Grant Photography

2012-09-02T08:41:00.000+10:00

This is just a teaser of some of the fabulous garments in the Darnell Collection. Several of them are heading to the Burrinja Cultural Centre in November for "Fashion Meets Fiction". A catalogue will be available and some of these outfits will be included.

(These were taken with my iPhone. Brigitte's photographs capture every detail!)

www.brigittegrantphotography.com.au

Celebrating Flowers, Scent and Perfume at David Jones, Sydney

2012-09-01T16:29:00.002+10:00

This was one of the most stunning window displays I have seen in a long while. The most exquisite flowers, abundantly displayed throughout the first floor and in every window along George and Elizabeth Streets at the Sydney David Jones Department Store. I just loved the mix of exotic and colourful lowers, a bit of haute couture fashion all timed to celebrate the beginning of Spring. I can only imagine who divine the scent in each display window must be with bunches of Hyacinths, Roses and Lavender!