Summary

This dress was designed and manufactured in Melbourne by Prue Acton P/L in 1981. It was originally made for the donor to wear to a fancy dress ball at the Underground disco in Melbourne in December, 1981. She also wore it to the Fashion Industies of Australia (FIA) award ceremony at the Sydney Town Hall, on March 26th, 1982, famously arriving barefooted. That night she won the Style '80s award in the Designer category.

In 1988 it was also worn by a model for Prue Acton's 25th Anniversary Parade.

In 2005, it was used in a fashion parade at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre to lauch the Australia Post Legends series that year, featuring six Australian fasthion designers, including Prue Acton.

A version of the dress in white was a very popular export to the U.S.

Physical Description

Ankle length taffeta and organza evening dress consisting of gum leaf shaped pieces of fabric in green, brown, burgundy and grey. Boned bodice is strapless with machine embroidery suggesting vertical leaves, the ends of which are hand-painted in grey. Taffeta skirt of overlapping 'leaves', with brown organza underskirt of same construction. Taffeta panels decorated with machine embroidery, organza inserts and 3-dimensional cocoons with emerging fluffy butterflies/moths with painted eyes, to suggest real leaves. Back fastened by zip. Cream masking tape marked '1984' stuck inside bodice denotes it was used in the 25th anniversary parade.

More Information