Fashioning our social history

By Anna McGuinness

Nov 21, 2022

The Loel Thomson Costume Collection display at the Museum of Motor Vehicle Evolution (MOVE) spans nearly 200 years. Photo by Megan Fisher

STORY: ANNA MCGUINNESS. PHOTOGRAPHY: MEGAN FISHER

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It’s one of the most significant and largest collections of Australian clothes in the world, and it calls Kialla’s Museum of Motor Vehicle Evolution home.

The more than 10,000 pieces in the Loel Thomson Costume Collection span nearly 200 years, transcending fashion to become a showcase of women’s social history.

MOVE collection manager Stacey Short said Loel Thomson started the collection in the 1980s when she lived at Noorilim Estate at Wahring.

“For the most part, Loel tried to collect what she called ordinary streetwear, so the things normal Australian women, and men to a smaller extent, would have worn on an ordinary basis,” Stacey said.

The collection had previously been housed in a former computer warehouse in the Melbourne suburb of Bulleen.

“Loel had it on display but it wasn’t open to the public all the time,” Stacey said.

“She would just take group bookings and donate the proceeds to various charities, so this is the first time it’s been open to the general public.”

MOVE custom-built the display and storerooms specifically for the collection, which required temperature and humidity control and to be as sealed and dustproof as possible.

It’s not just clothes on display. Loel collected all sorts of accessories — jewellery, parasols, homewares, shoes, handbags and more.

“The breadth and depth of this collection is huge,” Stacey said.

“The amount of different things Loel collected over the years is just mind-blowing.

“It’s a reflection of what normal, ordinary people would have worn at various times.”

With recognisable Australian designers including Jenny Kee, Prue Acton and Sally Browne, there are also stores synonymous with local, everyday wear such as Target and Myer.

“People walk in and go ‘wow’ — it’s been fantastic,” Stacey said.

“We get people coming in and pointing out things they remember or things their mum had — there's a big reminiscence factor.”

There are also some items of significance among the collection, including timely to the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II — the dress and hat worn by Lady Mayoress Nancy Vibert when she met the Queen during her visit to Shepparton in 1954.

So whether it’s for a trip down memory lane or an eye-opening fashion journey, visit MOVE at 7723 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Kialla, open daily from 10am to 4pm.