Evolution and Revolution - Chinese dress 1700 to now

Powerhouse Publishing
Evolution and revolution: Chinese dress 1700s - 1990s

Han Chinese womens ensemble.

Apricot-yellow semi formal dragon robe (jifu).

25 June 1997 - July 1998

Through a stunning display of Chinese dress, this exhibition explored the extraordinary changes that have occurred in Chinese society over the last 300 years. The objects ranged from the sumptuous silk court robes of the Qing Dynasty to the latest designs from young fashion designers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The exhibition looked at change in Chinese culture through the medium of dress and in particular at the impact of social, cultural, political and economic forces on dress design. The focus of the exhibition was urban dress in major centres of population, government industry and trade such as Peking, Shanghai and Canton from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) to the present day, but with a special emphasis on the last one hundred years. The exhibition thus spanned a turbulent period of China’s recent history including the fall of the Qing dynasty - the era of the Empress Dowager, the warlord era, civil war, Japanese occupation, Nationalist rule and after the Communist victory, the People’s Republic of China and the transition of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July 1997. It is the profundity of change that has occurred within Chinese society in the course of the past century which motivated the development of this exhibition.

The exhibition drew on the Museum’s collection of Chinese dress and was supplemented by loans from the National Gallery of Victoria and from private collections in Australia and Hong Kong. The exhibition was conceived chronologically and there are three main sections - court and court-related dress of the Qing dynasty, dress from the early 1900s including the evolution of the cheungsam, post 1949 dress and the ubiquitous ‘Mao suit’ and the contemporary period featuring fashion by young designers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In order to realise the exhibition, the Museum worked closely with many individuals and institutions. The post 1949 section of the exhibition was the result of a close curatorial collaboration with Brisbane based writer and collector Sang Ye. The Museum commissioned Sang Ye to assemble a collection of mainland Chinese dress spanning the period 1940s to 1980s. The result was a unique and valuable collection of Chinese dress which documents a fascinating period of recent Chinese history. Where possible Sang Ye conducted oral history interviews with owners, recording the garments significance to the wearer and its relationship to the wider Chinese social, economic and political environment.

Chinese advertising poster from the late 1930s.

To complement the exhibition a special computer interactive was developed which allowed visitors to explore the meaning of decorative motifs on a selected number of garments that were on display.

Red Guard outfit from the Cultural Revolution 1966-1976.

Sponsored by:
The Sunday Telegraph, SBS,
Australia - China Council