Stunning 1970s outfit features in Museum Floor Talk

The dress from the Whanganui Museum's Outfit of the Month for July. Photo / Whanganui Regional Museum

The Whanganui Regional Museum presents the July edition of Ko te Kakahu o te Marama - Outfit of the Month.

The selected outfit to be showcased is a two-piece evening ensemble dating from the 1970s.

Featuring a sleeveless, floor-length dress and a matching, fur-trimmed coat, the ensemble is entirely handmade. Owned - and possibly sewed - by Huia Gibbs of Whanganui, it was donated to the museum by her daughter-in-law, Beverley Gibbs, in 1998.

In a free event for the public on Thursday, June 30, senior curator Libby Sharpe will host a floor talk in the museum to explain the details of the outfit's fabric, design and structure.

The matching set is a standout in the museum's collection, serving as a testament to the glamour and eclecticism of evening wear in the 1970s.

The outfit draws from a diverse range of inspirations, as evidenced by its many distinctive features.

Notable aspects of the dress are its black, lace-trimmed neckline and bodice with asymmetrical button and bow detailing.

The dress and coat will be on exhibition at the Whanganui Regional Museum throughout the month of July. The floor talk happens at 12.15pm on June 30. Members of the public are invited to gather in the museum's atrium. Entry is free.