Modern Love

Big day out in Bendigo!

First stop was the Modern Love exhibition at the art gallery. Amazingly, photos were allowed as long as you didn't use a flash. The exhibition focuses on "fashion visionaries" of the last 30 years, with pieces by Rei Kawakubo, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Vivienne Westwood, and many more.

You may notice that there aren't many people in these shots. I don't know if that was because of how early I was, or if this exhibition is just not pulling in the crowds that previous ones have. I did overhear a visitor say "Look at that, it's only 19 years old. That's practically new!", which made me wonder what they thought they were coming to see.

It was nice to be able to get a good view of everything, unlike the Grace Kelly show where there was always at least one person, and often two, between me and the glass cases. Here's a close-up of one of Issey Miyake's pleated garments:

One by Thom Browne that just made me laugh:

This one is not old at all - it is from his Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. I loved the quilting on the jacket, but what might not be obvious is that it has no sleeves. It is a square straitjacket, topped with a big square hat.

The show is on until 2nd February. It is not huge (just two rooms) but is worth a visit if you are interested in modern designers!

Next stop, the Bendigo Swap Meet.

This is the biggest thing in Bendigo this weekend. A huge sea of stalls selling "something for everyone", although to be honest, most of it was for people interested in cars. However, I did see half a dozen sewing machines and one overlocker, and then this:

Let's zoom in a little:

Squeezed between the vehicle parts, someone selling quilting fabric! But it was almost hidden behind the board advertising several old cars for sale.