Vivian Chan Shaw – 40 Years/A Retrospective is now on show at Tamworth Regional Gallery, Peel Street Tamworth. http://www.tamworthregionalgallery.com.au/
The exhibition explores four decades of the work of celebrated Australian fashion label, Vivian Chan Shaw, from 1972 – today. It traces garments starting from the first collections, designed in fabric in the 1970s, and follows the transition to the unique hand loomed knitwear, for which Vivian Chan Shaw has a global reputation. Fifty milestone garments are on show, including signature appliqué and hand beaded gowns from the 1980s; a magnificent knitted wedding gown created in 1993 for Claudia Chan Shaw (now in the collection of The Powerhouse Museum), to exquisite hand made jewellery from the current collections.
In a world of fast and disposable fashion, this exhibition demonstrates the skill and inventiveness of this ingenious Australian designer. Visitors to the exhibition will see the earliest examples of Vivian Chan Shaw’s work – elaborate pieces made in fabric, and the evolution of the artisan hand loomed knit garments, where the boundaries of craft and fashion are blurred.
Vivian Chan Shaw was one of Australia’s ground breaking early fashion exporters, selling her designs in the USA from as early as 1981. Iconic American stores Bonwit Teller, Neiman Marcus, I Magnin, Nordstrom and independent boutiques in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles all stocked the distinctive Australian label. Chan Shaw designs have also sold in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand. In 2009 Vivian won the Fashion Group International Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her work and her contribution to the Australian fashion industry.
Vivian Chan Shaw – 40 Years, A Retrospective will be on display until Saturday 4 June 2016 at Tamworth Regional Gallery; 466 Peel Street Tamworth. Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm. Saturday 10am – 4pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.