Thursday Talents - Exploring the Fashion of Night Life...👗

Hi there Internet!

I hope you are doing wonderfully wherever you are in the world right now 🌏

First things first, I'm uploading on a Thursday. I know I am in between previously specified posting days, and I am sorry. Please forgive me 💙💜💚

It's the middle of another week on Planet Earth for me, and I am feeling a mixture of things. I go back to the grind of university for Semester 2 next week, which is slightly terrifying but also super exciting because learning is fun kids 📗📘📙

In my time off, you guys know that I have been having a whale of time doing some fun things. I have been to the movies a bunch of times and have laid my eyes on Cars 3, Wonder Woman, Spiderman: Homecoming and Baby Driver TWICE.

I've got mixed opinions on these films, so there will only be 2 reviews coming at you. Cars 3 is already out in the Internet so get your eyeballs on it if you haven't already. The other one is actually coming at the end of the week, and I won't give it away but can you guess which one I have decided to review? Leave me your predictions in the comments section below 😉🎬

Aside from some quality social time with my friends, I was also able to explore something really exciting. Like any big city, Melbourne is so vast and beautiful with hidden secrets to discover all over the place.

I took some time to visit the historic Ripponlea House and Gardens, which is currently home to a magical fashion exhibition from the National Trust of Australia called 'Night Life'. I had a fantastic day and I wanted to share my thoughts with you 🌟🌟🌟

So I hope you enjoy my account of my mystical Night Life adventure (bearing in mind I know next to nothing about fashion)....
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"Be transported to a time where stars, sophistication and city lights influenced the fashion worn by the well-dressed. NIGHT LIFE is an exhibition drawn from the fashion collection of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). It includes the work of contemporary Melbourne stylists and the photographers who see this era through modern eyes" - Pamphlet Blurb

Night Life was an amazing and immersive journey back in time to the glitz and glamour of 20s and 30s high fashion. A feast for all the senses, not only did it capture the period beautifully, but it also gave a really interesting insight into the way these classic fashion trends are interpreted today.

Forget about the crop tops and ripped jeans of 2017 for a minute people, these classic gowns were the main attraction and they did not disappoint. As someone who can respect and appreciate fine artistry without a huge depth of knowledge in the technical side of fashion, I couldn't get over how unique each piece was.

Pieces like this cape were made with sumptuous fabrics and an insane eye for detail and elegance.

Whether it was a brightly coloured and embroidered, Japanese inspired dress or a mysterious and decadent Egyptian patterned shawl, each piece had its own character and vibrancy that could easily be tailored to the style of any classy lady.

But the assortment of black gowns were definitely my favourite. They oozed elegance, drama and sophistication while incorporating fun additions of lace, velvet and bow details. Plus, the sparkle of glitter and sequins always makes a such a striking impact against the darker fabric.

The large collection of black gowns were so beautiful, and they must have been easy to accessorise back in the day - everything goes with black!

Alongside the gowns, a series of informative videos littered the rooms, giving patrons some interesting extra information about the clothes. Jazzy music and sound effects like fireworks also added another layer of mystique to the experience.

The majestic Ripponlea House and Gardens was the perfect backdrop for this exhibition to truly shine. The atmosphere of each of the rooms through the furniture and gorgeous chandeliers made every cluster of gowns feel right at home.

Nestled in amongst suburban Melbourne is Ripponlea House and Gardens - a picturesque place to hold such a lovely celebration of  class and sophistication

There was an interactive aspect in one of the rooms that was incredibly interesting. It laid out the immensely complex process of designing and making these lavish dresses, and even encouraged the creatively brave to dabble in making some embroidery; just like the 20s and 30s seamstresses.

This room also revealed a big secret from the time – dressmakers would often engage in a cheeky bit of reduce-reuse-recycle by combining parts of various dresses to create a brand-new garment!

Many gowns were made in France and shipped out to Australia for young ladies to purchase from department stores or even higher-class boutiques. There were local dressmakers doing their own thing as well, so women were never short of places to buy beautiful clothes.

But seriously, I could not get over how much time, care and effort went into creating these masterpieces. These demure designs were the perfection combination of classy femininity, bling and individual expression.

This detailed and vibrant flower pattern covered an entire shawl and I cannot imagine how long it must have taken the seamstress to sew it all on there.

The embroidery was often so heavy and intricate that the fabric underneath would break and dresses could only be worn once or twice. But at least these dresses made sure their wearers hit the vibrant party scene with a shimmer and a bang!

One of the last rooms focused on the contemporary nature of these old school trends. It did a wonderful job of combining the past and present by mashing up pieces from the 20s, 30s and the 2000s in the same outfit! I was amazed at how much these classic trends are still present on the racks of today.

One of the displays from the contemporary room; which flawlessly combined pieces from the Trust's collection with recent pieces from top designers.

There was a magical kind of fantasy about the whole experience, and I honestly wish I could have stayed and lived there because it was so beautiful and perfect. With the intense, dark, atmospheric lighting and the decadence of the Ripponlea House rooms; the dresses and this era of fashion was shining bright.

It was such a fun and exciting period for fashion and culture more broadly, and I wish that more people took the time to look back and appreciate its splendour. Thanks to the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and its talented team for putting together such a wonderful celebration of Australian fashion history.

Now I'm feeling inspired! So I'm off to reassess my entire wardrobe and change nothing because I am broke and the pictures are a lot prettier than any kind of DIY attempt I will make....

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There you have it! I hope you enjoyed that brief recount of what I thought of the exhibit. If you are reading this in Melbourne, Night Life is open at the Ripponlea House and Gardens in Elsternwick until the 30th July if you want to check it out (10/10 would recommend 😁). The website is: http://www.ripponleaestate.com.au/event/night-life/

But if you're not in Melbourne, I hope that this has inspired you to go out one afternoon and get some culture/history in your brain from wherever you live - I promise it's incredibly rewarding 😍

Question of the Day: If you could go back in time and steal a dress from a previous time period, which one would it be and why? Leave me your answers in the comments section below and follow me on Instagram (@miss_memphis98) to keep up to date with all things blog!

Thanks for reading,

Love and dresses that shimmer when you twirl, Emily xxx ✨