Art of the Outfit showcases clothing’s rich tapestry: Laura Vodanovich

Young Labourer, artist Gary Waldrom. Photo / Hawke's Bay Museums Trust.

Opinion

Laura Vodanovich is the MTG’s director

Last night we opened our latest exhibition Art of the Outfit, which pulls together prints, paintings, sketches and more from the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust collection – all with the common theme of showing different styles of clothing.

Textiles often do not survive for numerous reasons - simple acts like washing, the detergents or soaps used, along with vigorous scrubbing or rough machine rotation can speed up deterioration of textiles.

Historically, cloth was expensive, so costumes were often cut up and repurposed, made into a different outfit, or simply used to patch other clothing. For those who tried to preserve special outfits, these often succumbed to pests, ripped and tore along shoulder seams if kept on hangers, or if exposed to prolonged sun or artificial light faded and shredded.

It’s no wonder that most of our glimpses into costumes past comes through art forms that capture images of outfits.

Working in the arts and culture industry we have the joy of always learning, and this exhibition is no exception.

I have gained a bit more knowledge about how what we wear represents what we want to present to the world. Clothing can showcase wealth, modesty, chastity, and austerity.

A link to my own Croatian ancestry that I didn’t previously know was that the bow tie evolved from the Croatian cravat. Much of historic European clothing was designed to meet a fashion style rather than be functional or comfortable for the wearer. Looking back on some of these historic garments, I can’t help but feel sorry for the women, whose styles were the least functional.

How difficult it must have been for a woman wearing these garments, to simply navigate walking, or swim or even perform the simple act of lifting something down from a shelf, and the amount of time it must have taken to get dressed daily.

Sadly, the recording of outfits over time is unbalanced, with a greater proportion of the upper class represented in portraits, magazine sketches, or clothing sellers’ promotional material, but as we moved into the second half of the 20th century, this started to change.

This exhibition brings some hidden gems out from the collection, along with a few favourites that may be more regularly seen.

The concept was developed by our former art curator, Toni MacKinnon, now director at the Suter Art Gallery in Nelson. Cathy Dunn kindly stepped in to help develop the show further by researching and providing extended labels for around half the works in the exhibition. Cathy’s research provides another layer of depth about the outfits depicted.

From pleated neck ruffs, to beautiful korowai, to utilitarian practicality of everyday wear, to wigs that require delousing, there’s a fascinating range of outfits on display to show how the way we dress changes across time, cultures and countries.

We hope you’ll come and learn a bit about the way people have dressed over the years and enjoy Art of the Outfit.