Community
31 July, 2026
Vintage gown display coming to Skipton
A GLAMOUROUS weekend of high fashion will strut into Skipton Mechanics Institute Community Hall in September.
The McFarlane Dress Collection will be featured at the Fashion Through the Ages Exhibition on the weekend of September 19 and 20.
The event will showcase vintage gowns from the 20th century including designs by Australian couturiers Carla Zampatti, Suzanne Cole, Dana Mathers and Matthew Eager.
The free exhibition is open from 10am-4pm on both days with a catwalk parade and afternoon tea from 1pm on the Sunday.
McFarlane Dress Collection curator Jennifer Blomeley has accumulated the collection over the past 25 years.
Her hobby snowballed after Ms Blomeley found a pre-loved green velvet dress and jacket from a vintage shop in Queenscliff.
“After a freshen-up, a couple of stitches and carefully rolling it into a suitcase, it was ready to wear to a special anniversary dinner in Sydney,” Ms Blomeley said.
“The dress was by Australian designer Josef Ribkoff – later research revealed it was a bargain purchase.”
As the collection grew, friends and acquaintances sourced or donated dresses from vintage boutiques or op shops – even a backyard shed and a dress-up box.
“Several dresses are online purchases, mostly in reasonable condition,” Ms Blomeley said.
“Often the seller will tell me the story of where the dress was worn and more.
“In some cases, they cost a little – some cost a little more – the hunt and the negotiations are fun, but the reward is the finished dress.”
Particularly notable inclusions are Lady Gwenda Manifold’s 1950s pink tea dress, a 1960s striped dress worn to the Titanic Restaurant in Williamstown and a gold ball gown by Melbourne’s most prestigious evening gown provider, De Lara Couture.
In the collection is a red ball gown by Australian designer Matthew Eager, who has dressed newsreader Natalie Barr, ‘You’ singer Marcia Hines and comedian Amanda Keller.
“Also in the collection is the orange version of a light blue Carla Zampatti dress worn by Miranda Kerr.,” Ms Blomeley said.
“Dame Quentin Bryce and Delta Goodrem often wore Carla Zampatti designs.”
Ms Blomeley’s favourite item is either a navy J’adore dress, or a wedding dress she recently bought online.
Both were designed in Australia and needed extensive repairs.
The J’adore, bought online around 2017, required extensive repairs.
“The train of this dress was accidentally walked on by a fellow contestant and torn in several spots,” Ms Blomeley said
“This was a time-consuming but a satisfying repair of a half shoe imprint tear and multiple heel tears – replacement of three sequined panels in the train and mending of smaller tears.”
Corangamite Shire Council mayor councillor Kate Makin invited fashionistas from across the region to come along.
“The McFarlane collection really is an amazing journey through 20th century fashions,” she said.
“It shows off the skill the designers and artisans who turn material into dresses that really are works of art.
“For the mechanically minded, there will also be a display of vintage sewing machines owned by Leanne Delahunty.”
The Fashion Through the Ages exhibition is presented by Corangamite Shire Council with funding from the state government.