Toni Maticevski: Dark Wonderland

Bendigo Art Gallery Maticevski Dark Wonderland Orchid RoomFor the first time in his celebrated twenty year career, renowned Australian fashion designer, Toni Maticevski opens up his archives for an exhibition that reveals the beauty and breadth of his oeuvre, and the gowns that have made him an international fashion icon.

Curated by Bendigo Art Gallery, Dark Wonderland celebrates Maticevski’s unique skill in dressing the female body, his obsessive attention to detail and his continued interest in tailoring, line, and reinventing classic forms and techniques. He has achieved worldwide acclaim for his masterful approach to the manipulation of traditional fashion silhouettes and innovative use of materials, colour, texture and fabrics.

Since he first launched his label in 1999, Toni Maticevski’s garments have been worn by revered fashion icons and featured in some of the world’s most prestigious fashion magazines. Yet he retains a strong hands-on approach to his work, draping and sampling his designs himself, balancing a ready-to-wear label alongside a bespoke practice that caters to one-off commissions.

His look books are full of elegant and ethereal objects juxtaposed with bold sculptural garments. Twisted, draped and structural designs are underscored by contrasting fabric textures and weights, creating a sense of drama and a transformation of the human form.

Mixing high glamour and exacting technical know-how with a desire to continually experiment, Maticevski has created a catalogue of work that is highly diverse and focused on ideas and creative challenges rather than trends and commerciality.

“Toni Maticevski has managed to morph, adapt and defy the boundaries of fashion, crossing the line that divides fashion design with fine art. For anyone who has ever dreamed of wearing a masterpiece, this is a must-see exhibition,” said Karen Quinlan, Director of the Bendigo Art Gallery.

Dark Wonderland includes objects from Maticevski’s early practice through to his most recent creations. Highlights include the Monaco Gown worn by Princess Mary to the King’s 80th birthday, and the specially commissioned gold lame gown worn by Jessica Mauboy for Eurovision 2014.

Toni Maticevski has collaborated with institutions such as Phillip Adams BalletLab (for which he won a Helpmann Award in 2011, with milliner Richard Nylon), contributed to campaigns for The Australian Ballet, and in 2013 was selected for the National Gallery of Victoria’s exhibition, Melbourne Now. He is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Powerhouse Museum Sydney, the Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles (FIDM), and numerous private collections.

Toni Maticevski: Dark Wonderland
Bendigo Art Gallery, 42 View Street, Bendigo
Exhibition continues to 20 November 2016
Admission fees apply

For more information, visit: www.bendigoartgallery.com.au for details.

Image: A selection of Toni Maticevski’s outfits on display at Dark Wonderland (supplied)