This was the adventure I just had -
to collect an important fashion collection recently gifted to The Darnell Collection.
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| A rare Victorian bustle skirt. Silk satin, synthetic dyed fuchsia colour |
Whoever would have thought that custodianship of
one of ten significant private fashion collections in the world
would take me to wild, remote and pristine Bruny Island, off the east coast of Tasmania.
Marion (who passed away last year) was a collector of great taste.
Her preference for outlandishly extravagant Victorian garments, delicate 1920s clothes,
and designer garments from the Fifties through the Eighties,
including Mme Gres, Jacques Heim, Emanuel Ungaro and Pierre Cardin,
along with accessories including crocodile handbags and fringed gloves from the 30s,
fur stoles from the 50s, and diamanté-decked mules from French designers in the 60s,
created an intriguing and rare collection of fashion history.
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| Mme Gres, Guy Laroche, Emanuel Ungaro and other labels stacked on the bed waiting to be packed into enormous suitcases My journey to the Tasmanian collection included a train, plane, rental car, ferry and then a one hour drive on the only road on the island - dirt - with glimpses of azure blue seas, pine covered hills, white lighthouses, and no one else on the road! I arrived at the house, perched high on a cliff overlooking one of the most beautiful bays on the island, and was practically blown into the entrance of the magnificent house, filled with antiques, to discover what had been gifted to my collection. |
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| A beautiful mauve, emerald metallic thread and velvet 1920s evening coat |
Marion's collection was stored in pristine condition, quite a feat living on an island, so everything I emptied from the drawers of mahogany chests on chests, wardrobes and chests of drawers
were in immaculate order.
With ABC Classic FM radio playing in the background, I packed up 5 enormous suitcases in rhythm to Bach and Mozart concertos.
700 pieces (141.67 kilos) later I drove off, back down the two kms dirt driveway
to the chained gate through which I drove before it was locked up again,
and headed back to the ferry and then on to Hobart where I stayed the night
before flying back to Sydney the next day.
Now, not only have I added an extraordinary fashion element to The Darnell Collection,
but along with this gift I can also add the evocative story of the setting in which I found myself,
the adventure of getting there and back, and of course, most importantly,
the story of Marion and her devoted husband Terry.
The Darnell Collection is a collection of fashion.
BUT it is more than that.
It is a collection that tells social history and women's journey's through fashion,
and Marion's story is one of dedication, passion and pride.
I feel very lucky to include this treasure with mine.
This is why the Darnell Collection is unique in the world.
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| The view from my hotel room at Alonha, Tasmania |
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| Mahogany chest on chest filled with Marion's collection, beautifully stored in acid free tissue. |
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| Elaborate silk thread embroidery on a silk kimono from the 1920s |
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| Olivia modelling this stunning 1920s house robe |
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| Marion looking demure and young in the early 1940s |
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| Another breathtaking Bruny Island view as I drove to the collection |
