The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift:
National Gallery of Victoria

The National Gallery of Victoria is the lucky recipient of a major gift of significant fashion from philanthropist Krystyna Campbell-Pretty, now on display. The exhibition draws together more than 200 garments representative of Parisian haute couture. Exhibition highlights include an iconic Yves Saint Laurent’s safari suit, Saharienne (1968) and a crystal-embellished jacket from his 1990 Versailles collection; a Hall of Mirrors jacket and dress (1938) by Elsa Schiaparelli, embroidered with sequins and mirror pieces in rococo-inspired flourishes; as well as gowns from two of Alexander McQueen’s most famous collections, Widows of Culloden, 2006, an homage to Scotland, and the posthumously titled Angels and Demons, 2010 the last collection McQueen was working on when he died. These pieces feature alongside examples of work from the couture greats Charles Frederick Worth, Christian Lacroix, Madame Grès, Gabrielle Chanel and Christian Dior amongst others, drawn from the over 250 garments Campbell-Pretty has gifted since 2015. These are complemented by original sketches and workbooks from featured designers including Jeanne Lanvin, embroidered samples from Lesage, fashion photography and rare early fashion magazines, which also form the basis of a new specialist fashion research library created for the NGV: the Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Research Collection. The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift will be on display until July 14, 2019.