The storytellers of Australian fashion, Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson’s unique approach referenced art, travel, film, literature and music to create a bold aesthetic characterised by daring patterns, innovative materials, meticulous techniques and a sustainable ethos.
For the first major exhibition from Museum of Brisbane’s Easton Pearson Archive, we worked together with Pamela and Lydia to select the designs they felt highlighted the greatest innovations of their design practice and to share the stories behind the evolution of each garment: the design process, techniques, collaborations, experimentation’s, successes and set-backs.
The garments will be showcased on more than 60 forms, alongside accessories, look books, sketches and range plans.
Slow fashion, sustainability, design practice and experimental future fashion will also form the basis of the exhibition’s public programs to begin in December.
Clare Press, Vogue Australia’s Sustainability Editor-at-large and author of the Wardrobe Crisis has interviewed Pamela and Lydia for a podcast to accompany the exhibition. Don’t forget your smart phone and headphones when you visit so you can tune in.
About the Easton Pearson Archive
The Easton Pearson Archive gift to Museum of Brisbane has been made possible by the generous support of Dr Paul Eliadis, a Brisbane-based philanthropist and patron of contemporary art and design.
The Archive consists of more than 3,300 garments donated by Dr Eliadis through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program in 2017. It is supported by more than 5,000 accessories, spec sheets, range plans, look books, photographs and other supporting materials donated by Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson in 2018.
The Easton Pearson Archive captures a pivotal piece of Australian design and fashion history, explores national identity and reveals Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson’s place at the forefront of contemporary design movements including: fashion as art; ethical manufacture; and slow fashion.
The Archive is a treasure held by the Museum of Brisbane to inspire, inform and awe fashion and design enthusiasts today and into the future. It is also a valuable resource for designers, bespoke manufacturers and students, for whom the design duo remains an enduring influence.
The Dress Circle
The Museum’s Dress Circle recognises individuals who have made an annual gift of $1,000 or more in support of The Easton Pearson Archive.
Dress Circle donors inspire others through their generosity and play a vital role in the life of the Museum. As a Dress Circle donor, you and your guest will be invited to an exhibition preview of The Designers’ Guide: Easton Pearson Archive and other special events.
You will receive regular news about the Archive and an exhibition catalogue. Your gift will be recognised in the Museum’s annual report.
To become a Dress Circle donor, make a gift of $1,000 or more today.
