This show, facilitated by Tom McEvoy, will take place in the Como House and Gardens Ballroom and will offer a deep dive into the fashion legacy of John Claringbold & Ross Weymouth.
Discover the fascinating fashion legacy of John Claringbold and Ross Weymouth at CATWALK MASTERS – A Retrospective Exhibition. Join us at the National Trust’s Como House and Gardens Ballroom for an intimate, storytelling experience featuring a curated selection of significant vintage garments from the award-winning and at times controversial designers’ archives. Learn about the designer’s partnership in fashion and life, as memories are shared by friend Tony Anderson and former Fashion House Model, Elana McKinley. Discover how two country men evolved into sophisticated courtiers and became leaders in the bespoke fashion design industry, winning the prestigious Gown of the Year award multiple times. This is a rare opportunity to see a unique period of vintage fashion by John Claringbold & Ross Weymouth, as guided by fashion anthropologist Tom McEvoy, co-producer Kerri Weymouth, and hosts Tony Anderson and Elana McKinley.
We are proud to be part of the 2023 Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Date & Time:
4th March 2023
Morning: 10:30am to 12:00pm
Afternoon: 2:00pm to 3:30pm
About Tom McEvoy
Tom has explored these ideas through agentive archive presentations for the Melbourne Fashion Week, Museum Victoria and the National Trust. His work has been featured in Vogue Australia, The Age and several other media outlets.
The Claringbold & Weymouth retrospective is a continuation of his work in developing ways for an audience to interact with fashion history beyond display boxes, books and mannequins. With support of the National Trust, Creative Victoria, the Griffith Art Gallery and Kerri Weymouth, Tom has sourced a ‘once in a lifetime’ collection of garments to be paraded, and seen up close, of the award winning designs of two legendary Australian couturiers.
About Kerrie Weymouth
Kerri is a contemporary multidisciplinary artist and qualified art therapist who holds a Master’s in Therapeutic Arts Practice. She is inspired by her connection to the Australian Bush and regional communities.
Kerri’s work spans many mediums such as textiles, printing, acrylics, sculptural work with found objects and eco-dyed works with strong sense of place. Kerri has her artwork displayed in many private and corporate collections, nationally and abroad. Her chosen medium depends on the ideas she is exploring at the time, because of her love to experiment she often favours mixed media.
Early inspiration comes from creative family members including years spent in the 1980’s fashion world of haute couture working from the fashion house of John Claringbold and Ross Weymouth in Melbourne’s famous Nicholas building in Swanston Street which is renowned as a unique creative hub for creative industries.
“Those years working with Claringbold and Weymouth have imbedded colour, design and attention to detail into my creative work and many aspects of my life. Hand sewing zips, linings, hems plus the repetitive work of beading, Claringbold once said I was the only person he had to tell to stop beading.”
Special thanks to Griffith Regional Art Gallery
The Griffith Regional Art Gallery holds over 200 gowns and memorabilia from the “’Couture Collection’ that were created during Weymouth and Claringbold’s career’s spanning over 50 years. These are amongst their most stunning works including twelve winning gowns that won the prestigious “Gown of the Year” award. This collection of gowns and memorabilia is the largest couture collection of any designer in Australia.
