What can a wardrobe tell us about a life?
This spring, Tasma Terrace opens the doors on an extraordinary private wardrobe spanning four decades of fashion, family and personal style.
The Collector’s Wardrobe brings together clothing from the wardrobes of Christabel Raymond and her daughters Heather Heraud and Anne Raymond – the Raymond Sisters. Dating from the 1950s through to the 1990s, these garments have been chosen, worn, treasured and kept across generations, tracing a family story alongside the changing face of Australian fashion and design.
From beautifully made everyday pieces to clothing chosen for special occasions, the wardrobe captures something more personal. These are clothes as they were actually lived in – selected for particular moments, worn by particular people and kept because they continued to hold value and meaning.
Explore the Collection, Take a Piece Home
Generously given by Heather and Anne to support the work of National Trust Victoria, these garments are from the sisters’ private wardrobes and are not part of the National Trust’s museum collection.
At Tasma Terrace, they will be presented in the style of a curated display – but with one important difference: the clothes are for sale.
Visitors can explore the garments up close, discover more about the women who wore them and the designers who made them, and encounter four decades of Australian style through the intimate lens of a family wardrobe.
And then, perhaps, take a piece home.
A different approach to fashion
The Collector’s Wardrobe asks us to think differently about the clothes we own. Why do some pieces stay with us for decades? What makes something worth keeping? And what happens when a treasured garment passes from one wardrobe to another?
At a time when fashion is increasingly defined by speed and disposability, these clothes tell another story – one of quality, individuality, care and longevity. Their histories do not need to end when their original owners are ready to part with them. They can be worn again, valued again and become part of somebody else’s story.
National Trust Victoria warmly thanks Heather Heraud and Anne Raymond for their generosity in sharing not only their remarkable wardrobes, but the personal stories held within them.
Their gift also celebrates the important role of collectors and donors who recognise the value of keeping, caring for and sharing the things that tell our stories.
Come to Tasma Terrace to discover a wardrobe shaped over four decades – and leave with a piece ready for its next.
