Beyond the wardrobe walls – the Easton Pearson Archive unlocks a history of fashion
When it comes to dynamic duos, they don’t come much better than Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson. Over the course of 27 years, these two fabulous women changed the face of Australian fashion with their eponymous label Easton Pearson. Their truly visionary designs and unique approach has left a seriously impressive legacy – and an even more breathtaking archive of pieces to pore over. The Designers’ Guide: Easton Pearson Archive is arriving at the Museum of Brisbane from Friday November 23 to provide a glimpse inside a brand that has captivated our country for almost three decades – and whose influence is still felt today.
Let’s wind it back a little and explain how The Easton Pearson Archive itself came to be (and what it is). Thanks to the generous support of Brisbane-based philanthropist and contemporary art and design patron Dr Paul Eliadis, this invaluable archive has been gifted to the Museum of Brisbane to inspire, inform and awe fashion and design enthusiasts. The Archive comprises more than 3300 garments in addition to more than 5000 accessories, spec sheets, range plans, lookbooks, photographs and other goodies donated by Pamela and Lydia in 2018. This archive is a significant treasure in the Australian fashion landscape – it captures a vital piece of our sartorial and design history.
The Designers’ Guide: Easton Pearson Archive marks the first major exhibition to draw from the archive – and we couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. Featuring 200 garments that have been selected with Pamela and Lydia in collaboration with Museum of Brisbane, the showcase has been curated to highlight the greatest innovations of the duo’s design practice. While each garment tells a story, this particular selection will reveal the whole kaleidoscope of the Easton Pearson journey – from design process, techniques and collaborations to experimentation, successes and setbacks. More than 60 forms will be adorned and displayed alongside accessories, lookbooks, sketches and range plans.
Ready to take a peek inside one of Australia’s most iconic wardrobes? The Designers’ Guide: Easton Pearson Archive is open at Museum of Brisbane from Friday November 23 – to book tickets, head here.
Images by David Kelly
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