A knee-length dress featuring hand-painted text and a tulle skirt inspired by The Stepford Wives is among the creative collection of garments on display at Hyphen – Wodonga Library Gallery.
Stitch brings together work by both past and current students from the Wodonga TAFE Certificate courses in clothing and textile production and visual arts.
Past student Annabel Young said her design inspired by The Stepford Wives is crafted from cotton sateen and includes a detachable overlay skirt made from tulle that adds a touch of whimsy.
The skirt was created from pieces of old formal dresses that Annabel sourced from op-shops and friends.
“It took about four months to complete, there’s lots of ruffles and there were lots prototypes to get the fit right for the dress and bodice,” she said.
Annabel explained the design concept for her Avant Garde look plays with the concept of expectation versus reality.
“I wanted to create a sharp contrast between wearable and unwearable, hence the tulle skirt is actually an apron with a bow and clasp at the back so that it comes off and reveals the painted on graffiti,” she said.
“So very dramatic, not very wearable, but very fun.”
Annabel completed Cert IV in Clothing and Textile production with Wodonga TAFE last year.
She is now busy with her own dressmaking and alteration business and when she isn’t working, Annabel is studying sociology at university.
Annabel created an entire garment collection featuring six separate pieces during her course.
Annabel said it was exciting to see her work on display in a public art gallery.
“It’s kind of the acknowledgement of all the work that has been put into it and it brings back some good memories,” she said.
Other creations in the exhibition include a jacket crafted entirely from found and preloved items, a pant suit with a reversible jacket, and one that is truly out of the box – a captivating ensemble meticulously crafted using discarded items such as soft drink can ring pulls, assorted shirt ties and leftover yarn.
This is the first partnership between Wodonga TAFE and Hyphen to exhibit these works.
Many past students were unable to exhibit their works during COVID, so this was the first opportunity for them to exhibit their works in a public gallery setting.
The exhibition is on display in the Community Gallery until February 11, 2024.