Summary

This coat was designed by Stella Dare and made in Melbourne under her Stell-Ricks label, circa 1950.

It was originally loaned to Museums Victoria for the exhibition 'You Can't Do That', held at Melbourne Museum from March - July, 2018. The first story featured was that of Stella Dare, and her reinvention of herself to become one of Melbourne's first female fashion entrepreneurs.

Physical Description

Long coat made from a grey woollen fabric. It has two black fabric covered buttons along the front, and wide collar and cuffs which are decorated with black braiding. It is fully lined with a black satin material at the top and a pleated grey material below the waist, which has a hidden pocket on the right hand side.

Significance

These item is being collected under the "Local clothing makers, manufacturers, designers and wearers" section of the Clothing and Textiles Collection Policy.

The coat was designed and made in Melbourne around 1950 by local designer Stella Dare under her `Stell Ricks' label. As one of Australia's early female fashion entrepreneurs, Dare showed what a woman could achieve in business. Young Esther Koodak started manufacturing in Flinders Lane aged just 19, but by the 1950s she was Mrs Stella Dare, tastemaker and prominent socialite. Managing a staff consisting mainly of returned soldiers, she built a thriving business of beautifully tailored and styled garments sold nation-wide, numbering towards 10,000 at its peak. Adapting European design, such as Dior's New Look, for the Australian market, she was not afraid to reject those fashions she thought as unsuitable, such as the infamous hobble skirt.

At the time this coat was made, an article in the Herald newspaper described her as `One of the personalities behind the fashion front at the Australian Industries Fair, suit and coat designer, Mrs Stella Dare.' It went on to say `She started her business before the war, with a new idea for woman, and made the first tailored fashion suits that could be bought "off the hook" in designs that lifted them out of the severely tailored class. After the war (during which she made thousands of women's service uniforms), Mrs Dare decided to go into the high fashion field. She is a first-class designer and an expert tailor and cutter, and still cuts all her own patterns. She believes her designs express the idea of Australian women who like to look shapely and feminine."

Stella Dare and her Stell-Ricks label, are now almost forgotten, and her highly tailored and timelessly designed garments are not represented in any state museum or gallery. This coat was originally acquired and used by local fashion historian Tom McEvoy as part of his photographic project documenting lesser known Australian fashion labels. By collecting this one, and another one offered for donation, this glaring omission will be rectified.

As part of the You Can't Do That exhibition, an hour long interview was filmed with Stella Dare's two nieces and this will eventually be registered into the State Collection to complement the garments.

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