Summary
Full-length coat, featuring raised gold and pink squares in metallic thread on black ground. Made by the label of Madame Serini.
Madame Serini (Irredenta Itala Serini) was a post-war Italian immigrant who arrived in Australia with her family in 1950. She had trained in Italy as a designer and dressmaker, and worked as a high-end fashion designer in Hobart and Melbourne before setting up her own label in Melbourne in 1959. Madame Serini became a leading prestige women's clothing designer across Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, finally closing in 1981.
Physical Description
Full-length rayon coat. Black background, with raised gold and pink squares in metallic thread, made of polyvinyl acetate/ polyvinyl chlorine (PVA/PVC) fibre. Tapers slightly out to hem; three-quarter sleeves. Pocket with covering flap on each hip. Five large buttons down front comprising gold-coloured chain sewn onto fabric button, with bronze beads within links and at centre. Black silk lining throughout.
More Information
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Collection Names
Museums Victoria/Italian Historical Society Co.As.It Collection
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Collecting Areas
Clothing & Textiles, Migration & Cultural Diversity, Working Life & Trades
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Italian Historical Society (Co.As.It), 29 Jun 2007
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Manufacturer
Madame Serini, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1965-1975
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Inscriptions
Sewn label at back of neck: 'Madame Serini / HAUTE COUTURE'.
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Brand Names
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
450 mm (Width), 1355 mm (Height)
Measured 2D flat, folded along side seams.
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References
Astrid Haban-Beer, 'Recalling the Memories of an Haute Couturiere: Madame Serini - A Journey from Fiume to Melbourne'. Italian Historical Society Journal, vol.12, no.1, Jan-June 2004, pp. 25-30. Astrid Haban-Beer, oral history interview of Madame Serini, November 2003, Italian Historical Society Oral History Collection
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Keywords
Clothing, Commerce, Fashion, Fashion Design, Fashion Industry, Immigration, Italian Communities, Italian Immigration
