Actual Piece: Beaded Dress
2001
from Collection and Inspiration 2001
- Medium
- cotton calico, beading, cotton wadding, cotton threads, habotai silk
- Measurements
- 147.0 × 36.0 cm (folded)
- Place/s of Execution
- Sydney, New South Wales
- Accession Number
- 2001.827.2
- Department
- Australian Fashion and Textiles
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 2001
© Courtesy of the artist
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest - Gallery location
- Special Exhibitions Gallery
Ground Level, NGV International - About this work
-
In 1986 Japanese-born Akira Isogawa immigrated to Australia, where he studied fashion design before opening his first store in 1993. Isogawa’s work is strongly influenced by Japanese culture, which can be seen in his layered aesthetic using contrasting fabrics and colours. These two works formed part of a larger installation that Isogawa created for the 2001 Desire exhibition, held at Melbourne’s RMIT Gallery. They reflect the designer’s reverence for traditional Japanese motifs and textiles. Isogawa has stated that, by displaying the works alongside their inspiration, a 1940s Japanese wedding kimono, he sought ‘to demonstrate the creative process/transformation from any object to a finished ready-to-wear garment’.
- Physical description
- Actual Piece: Beaded Dress, 1998-99 (spring/summer). Long sleeveless cotton calico dress with red habotai silk lining and encrusted surface beading in clear silver and white across the length of the front panel. The hemline of the dress features a rounded neckline and armholes cut slightly smaller than the lining to create a contrast effect. The detailed beading depicts birds, flowers and vines. Wide loose running stitches in red cotton form a border around the outside contours of the dress. Running stitches in red cotton horizontally at chest, waist and knee levels and in diagonal lines down the (facing) left side.