Isabella Blow: A Fashionable Life

Isabella Blow, Vanity Fair, May 2003 - photo by Donald McPherson - Contour by Getty ImagesShowcasing looks from Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy OBE, Julien Macdonald, Hussein Chalayan and more, the wardrobe of the celebrated English fashion editor and stylist Isabella Blow will open on 14 May 2016 for an exhibition exclusive to Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.

Isabella Blow: A Fashionable Life will provide a rare chance to see garments, hats and shoes by iconic British designers such as McQueen and Treacy in addition to the designs of Manolo Blahnik, John Galliano, Jeremy Scott and Viktor & Rolf. The bespoke exhibition will feature approximately 100 objects from Isabella Blow’s collection.

Isabella Blow nurtured the careers of many designers, photographers and models from the 1980s until her tragic death in 2007. The muse of hat designer Philip Treacy, she is credited with discovering the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as the fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

Known as a great eccentric, both in her behaviour and her dress, this exhibition showcases some of the most extreme pieces from Isabella’s infamous wardrobe. Her editorial work, the images she created and her personal collection of clothes, photographs and illustrations leave behind a legacy of one of fashion’s most talented mavericks.

In 2010, fashion muse, patron and artist, The Honourable Daphne Guinness purchased Isabella’s wardrobe and established the Isabella Blow Foundation. Guinness will visit Australia to open the exhibition and appear at a number of public events at the Powerhouse Museum.

Isobel Gorst from the Isabella Blow Foundation said they were looking forward to sharing Blow’s collection with Australians. “The Isabella Blow Foundation in partnership with Sydney’s MAAS Centre for Fashion, is delighted to embark upon a new, innovative exhibition,” said Gorst. “One of the charity’s objectives was to allow the world to view Isabella’s iconic wardrobe and we are thrilled to give Australia this opportunity.”

Isabella Blow: A Fashionable Life
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo
Exhibition: 14 May – 17 July 2016
Admission fees apply

For more information, visit: maas.museum for details.

Image: Isabella Blow, Vanity Fair, May 2003 – photo by Donald McPherson / Contour by Getty Images