Step into the evolving world of fashion and society through the National Trust’s Fashion & Dress Collection, set within the rich interiors of Labassa Mansion.
Led by one of the National Trust’s expert education facilitators, this immersive experience invites you to explore historic garments dating from the 1830s onwards. As you examine changing styles, silhouettes, manufacturing techniques and social expectations, you’ll uncover how clothing reflects broader shifts in women’s lives, freedoms and identities over time.
With gloves on, you’ll engage directly with selected pieces from the collection, gaining rare insight into the craftsmanship, materials and cultural history stitched into each garment. It’s a hands-on encounter with history that reveals how fashion both responds to — and drives — change.
The session concludes with a guided tour of Labassa Mansion itself, an exuberantly decorated Victorian-era Mansion and a remarkable survivor of nineteenth-century grandeur.
Event Timings
- 10.00am-11.30am: Dress Detectives – Guided Experience
- 11.30am-12.30pm: Guided Tour of Labassa Mansion
This event is part of the Australian Heritage Festival (Victoria) and is supported by the National Trust of Victoria (Foundation)
