At the last minute

Yesterday I finally went to see the Dressed by the Best: Fashion, Glamour and Gwen Gillam exhibition at the Queensland Museum, which has been open since last August! Gwen Gillam was a Brisbane fashion designer who opened her first shop in 1937, aged 20, and for the next four decades dressed the local fashion set.

In all, the exhibition includes about 30 dresses, with most in silk and other richly textured evening wear fabrics – Gillam’s ball gowns, debutante frocks and wedding dresses are well represented. The frocks are interspersed with workroom paraphernalia, newspaper clippings, photos, hotel menus and other interesting historical snippets, all of which help capture the aspiring city (read ‘big country town’) image of Brisbane at the time.

No photos were allowed, so unfortunately all I can show you is the poster. The show is only on until February 24 so if you’ve been meaning to go, now is your last chance.