Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson: Step Into Paradise

Overview

Don your best and most vibrant frocks — a powerhouse duo is coming to the Powerhouse Museum with a huge display of Australian fashion.

Spanning four decades of fabulous outfits, the immersive exhibition will offer an in-depth showcase of the works of creative partnership Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson. Encapsulating their dynamic energy, Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson: Step Into Paradise will examine the influences and inspirations, as well as the compelling stories behind their creations.

The pair's work is famous for transforming the Australian fashion world, all thanks to their bold designs that blend Australian nature and culture with global influence. For their efforts, they were honoured as Officers in the Order of Australia.

Opening on Thursday, October 17, the exhibition will particularly highlight the pair's formative years. That's when Jenny worked in London with Vern Lambert at the Chelsea Antique Market in 1960, while Linda globe trotted through the Pacific, Asia and Europe, studying fashion in cultures from the streets of Papua New Guinea to the runways of Paris. The opening of the Flamingo Park Frock Salon at Sydney's Strand Arcade in the 1970s marked the beginning of their creative partnership, with Powerhouse's showcases named after the sign on their shop door — which welcomed customers to "step into paradise".

"It was an invitation to visitors, to step into a fantastical and romantic world, full of beautiful things celebrating our environment. It was something Sydney had never seen before and we want to replicate this feeling with the exhibition," explains Kee.

More than 150 garments, textiles, photographs and artworks from the Museum's own extensive collection, many of which haven't been seen before, will be on display — alongside pieces from the designers' personal archives.

Iconic pieces in the exhibition include Linda Jackson's Waratah dress and Jenny Kee's black opal Chanel suit from Karl Lagerfeld's initial collection in 1983.

Exhibition images: Zan Wimberley. Profile image: Hugh Stewart.