Jewelled French Corded Lace Dress, 1967

Jewelled French Corded Lace Dress, 1967 2001/402

Opening This lace dress and matching coat belonged to Margaret Bartlett. She wore it to the opening of the Sydney Opera House in October 1973. One million people turned out to see Queen Elizabeth II formally open the building designed by Danish architect, Jørn Utzon. The celebration included fireworks and a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Designer This evening ensemble was designed by John Robinson. Originally a pharmaceutical salesman, a catastrophic car accident in the 1950s, led the injured John to retrain and open a clothes shop called The Boutique, with his sister. John had originally intended to simply manage the store but was soon designing and creating gowns. Dress This jewelled French corded lace dress and matching coat was rapidly created over two weeks in May 1967 to exhibit at the Waikato Winter Show in New Zealand. John Robinson designed the outfit but the beadwork was handsewn by a Russian woman who had worked for the Queen’s official dressmaker. The beading is so extensive that the ensemble weighs almost 3.5kgs. Sequins This dress and matching coat are decorated with sequins. The discovery of gold sequined robes in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun in 1922 inspired contemporary fashion designers. They began incorporating gelatin sequins into their designs for women’s clothing and costuming. The popularity of sequined fashion continued throughout the rest of the 20th century.