Impeccable style: Charlotte Smith tends to the Dior dress she envisions Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City wearing. Picture: Ted Kloszynski.
THE iconic styles of Carrie Bradshaw, Daisy Buchanan and Scarlett O'Hara are making their debut in Upwey.
Whether you prefer a Danielle Steele epic, Nicholas Sparks tearjerker or Agatha Christie mystery, the Fashion meets Fiction exhibition at Burrinja Cultural Centre is sure to delight.
Curated from the Darnell Collection of International Vintage Couture, the exhibition features 32 mannequins dressed in outfits inspired by characters in novels from the past 150 years.
The idea for the exhibition followed a book talk at Ferntree Gully library with curator and Dreaming of Chanel author Charlotte Smith to celebrate the National Year of Reading. "The exhibition combines social and fashion history with literature," Ms Smith said. "You don't realise how much detail authors have to put in to their writing to make the characters believable." Ms Smith inherited the collection of dresses, hats, jewellery, gloves and bags from her Pennsylvania-based godmother in 2004. Since then it has grown to 8000 pieces that are stored in a Sydney warehouse.
Fashion meets Fiction runs until February 17. Details: burrinja.org.au