frocking up for fashion meets fiction

It was terrific to be able to launch the Fashion meets Fiction exhibition coming up at Burrinja.

Fashion meets Fiction is the Eastern Regional Library Corporation's way of marking the National Year of Reading 2012.

Charlotte Smith, Linda Dalziel, Jilly Higgs and
Cr Samantha Dunn. It was wonderful to see
some of the pieces of the Darnell Collection, with
the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s being worn by
Charlotte, Linda and Jilly.

Fashion meets Fiction is an exciting and innovative exhibition concept that brings together the love of popular fiction and its many famous colourful characters with the cultural trend towards high end fashion, and particularly period pieces.

Cr Samantha Dunn, Charlotte Smith, Shannon
Anderson from Guide Dogs Victoria, Willow
the Guide Dog and Marion Boyce
(costume designer for Phyrne Fisher).

The exhibition will travel through time and the popular culture and fiction of the periods, drawing together the threads of character, period, fashion and finery.

Visitors will be able to see what Phryne Fisher might have worn on her adventures, how Elizabeth Bennet might have looked as she sparred with Mr Darcy or how Holly Golightly dressed on her visit to Tiffanys.

The Eastern Regional Libraries has proudly partnered with Guide Dogs Victoria as our charity partner and is also sponsored by Computers for All and Digital Education Services.

There's an exciting range of events around the exhibition including a catwalk event, cocktail evening, night time viewings, workshops, education programs, Valentine's Day event, meet the author sessions with Kerry Greenwood and opportunities to meet Charlotte Smith, custodian and curator of the the Darnell Collection and author of Dreaming of Dior and Dreaming of Chanel, which have been exceedlingly popular and now into new editions due to demand.

It will provide a great opportunity for local businesses, including B&B's, who can leverage off the exhibition.  If you're a local business and would like to explore the opportunities you can contact Lorraine Seeger at ERL on lorraine.seeger@erl.vic.gov.au.

To keep up to date with exhibition details visit Burrinja here.