Finding Phryne - Kerry Greenwood at Burrinja

Record numbers turned up at Burrinja Cultural Centre on Sunday 10th February to see the lovely Kerry Greenwood with both brunch and afternoon sessions completely booked.

Kerry was a wonderful speaker, who captivated the audience with her tales of writing and the inspirations that drew her into creating the world of Phryne Fisher. Wearing her gorgeous "Coat of many Colours", Kerry's relaxed and humorous stories had everyone entertained from start to finish. There was also much excitement amongst the crowd when Kerry announced she had finished her latest Phryne Fisher mystery just this week!

Books from the Phryne Fisher series were also available for purchase and the lines for them to be signed were huge - a wonderful testament to the popularity of Kerry's work. "She's just wonderful, my daughter brought me along today and it has been a lovely morning out. I thoroughly enjoyed Kerry's talk - and meeting her!!" commented Elizabeth from Camberwell.
 
The Phryne Fisher model inside the gallery was also incredibly popular with many people sparking up discussions in the 1920s section. Fans inside the exhibition had this to say:

"I loved Kerry's description of Phryne - reading about it in her books is always a joy, but to hear her talk about this fascinating character is something else." - Judy, from Boronia.

"Phryne is such an exotic character - after hearing about her, I want to be her!" - Sophia, from Ivanhoe.

"Kerry's descriptions are just so vivid and Phryne is such a colourful character. I love the jacket they chose for the exhibition with the gold throughout, I can just see Phryne throwing it on as she makes her way to a murder scene." - Katherine, from Altona.

A very big thank you to Kerry for making herself available for two sessions (especially seeing as she's just finished her latest work) - it was a wonderful day for everyone. And of course, a big congratulations to Kerry for finishing her latest Phryne novel - we are undoubtedly looking forward to it!!

Facebook Competition Winner Announced!

Thank you everyone who submitted an entry to the Fashion Meets Fiction Competition. What a wonderful response, we had over 100 entries. So with a cup of tea in hand, we read them all - and my word, enjoyed them all (wow, wish we could hand out tickets to everyone!!);  and after much deliberation, chose a winner. So without further ado...

**drum roll**

Congratulations to Bronwyn White! We loved the idea that what you wear should always make you feel fabulous and for getting in touch with our inner wickedness!!

Bronwyn has won two tickets to the Fashion Meets Fiction at Burrinja Gallery.

Thank you to everyone who entered - so many awesome responses and inspirational ideas! Hope to see you all at the Gallery!

Congratulations Bronwyn - Here is her winning answer.

So fetching - Glamour Divine at the FMF Mini Market

Candice DeVille and Karla,
our 1940s vintage makeover model

On Saturday January 19, the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition hosted a free Mini Market. With a record crowd turning up to Burrinja Gallery, it was a fantastic day had by all with lots of bargains, vintage delights, sassy swing tunes from Stacey-Louise Camilleri and wonderful workshops by guest speakers Candice Deville and Sally MacKinnon.

The 1940s makeover by Candice Deville was immensley popular with over 100 people being completely captivated by Candice's beautiful personality and advice in transforming our lovely model, Karla, into a vintage knock out. Candice was also on hand afterwards giving out advice, tips, tricks as well as a few mini-makeovers.

Stacey-Louise Camilleri also delighted crowds with her amazing voice as visitors browsed the market. So many compliments on such a beautiful voice; it was hard not to start dancing and tapping one's feet! Details on where to catch Stacey and her fellow Sisters are at the bottom - definitely treat yourself to one of the Swing Sisters performances!

Fashion stylist Sally MacKinnon also captured a large crowd with her knowledge on how to dress for your body shape. Sally's valuable advice was an inspiration for many with a very active Q & A session, with many ladies walking away with greater confidence in styling their own individual looks and wardrobe.

And let us not forget our fantastic stallholders - with so many goodies on ther stalls... just take our money, already!! Lots of nifty and thrifty items - everything from fashion, vintage magazines, vintage patterns, and  vintage inspired bridal crafts and jewellery, there was definitely something for everyone.

A lot of fun was had by all and a big thank you to all our speakers, performers and market stallholders for making it a fabulous day. There was such an array of wonderful compliments from many of our  visitors - so here is a list of all the people involved on the day! Kudos to you all!!

To see more of the fun had at the A Vintage Fair to Remember, check out our Facebook Page Photo Album!

Speakers & Performers
1940s Makeover with Candice DeVille from Super Kawaii Mama
Dressing for you Shape by Sally MacKinnon from Styled By Sally
Vocal Entertainment by Stacey-Louise Camilleri from the Swing Sisters

Stall Holders
Christina's Crafts
Vintage Butterfly
Linda's Vintage Fashion Collection
Lorri's Vintage Magazines
Voski Von Muller Fashion Emporium
Threadneedle & Bloom

Full house for the Gallery Walk with Charlotte

What a lovely afternoon - Charlotte Smith joined us again on Thursday January 17 for an enlightening walk through the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition at Burrinja.

With the tour completely booked out, guests were taken through a selection of Charlotte's favourite exhibition pieces and treated to the histories behind the fashion and how literature has inspired her to pair certain pieces with famous literature. The social history behind the garments as well as other fascinating tidbits were absolutely intriguing - who will be able to forget the story of American prison ladies sewing coal into the hems of their crinoline dresses to make them sway.

Charlotte was as charming as ever and it was an enjoyable afternoon had by all - we could have listened and talked about fashion all afternoon!!

For more information on the Gallery Walk - see the Gallery Walk Photo Album on Facebook Page.

Fashion Meets Fiction Competition

Image courtesy of Coloring My World

Who hasn’t been captured by the wardrobe of their favourite book characters and wanted to put on their shoes?

Now is your chance – tell us at Fashion Meets Fiction and you can be in the running to win tickets to the Exhibition and a $100 Dymocks Voucher.

Question: If you could raid any book character’s wardrobe, whose wardrobe would you dive into and what would you wear?


**submit answers with a max of 100 words.

Winners will be notified via email and their answers published on our blog and Facebook page.

Please send submissions to darnell.burrinja@gmail.com .  
Entries close – Friday 18th January

Christmas Hours

Christmas Hours

Burrinja will be closed from Monday 24th December and will reopen on Saturday 29th December.

New Years Eve
 
Burrinja will be closed on Monday 31st December and Tuesday 1st January, and will reopen on Wednesday 2nd January 2013.


Have a wonderful and safe everyone and see you at the Gallery

The Art of Fashion

The incredible attention to detail is just one of the many things exciting the visitors of  Fashion meets Fiction since it’s opening in November. From the stunning vintage brooches, delicate scarves and gloves, to the sensuous silk flowers, Charlotte Smith has worked her magic to ensure everything ties in beautifully to create the story behind each garment.

Hot off the Press - Fashion Meets Fiction in the Media

Well, behind the scenes here at Fashion Meets Fiction - we've been kicking up our vintage heels in celebration of the press releases and articles featured in several newspapers. How exciting! Thank you to Knox Weekly and Brigitte Grant for sending us these!

Sunday Telegraph - 18th November, 2012. Courtesy of Brigitte Grant, photographer for the Darnell Collection. 

Charlotte Smith on the front cover of the Knox Weekly. Courtesy of Tara McGrath & photographer Ted Kloszynski. Read the full article.

Dressing the Detective - Lunch with Marion Boyce

Marion Boyce sharing her experiences
- see more photos on our Facebook.

This luncheon was held at Burrinja on November 21 as part of the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition Program. It was an excellent turn out - just shy of 100 people came to listen to Marion, who was a fantastic speaker. Councillor Samantha Dunn was there to open the luncheon with her wonderful humor (we love having Samantha at these gatherings!). We were also lucky to have various press and bloggers such as Yahav Ron from Paris '99 there to enjoy the event.

This was a very popular talk for all lovers of the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries television series and questions could have gone on for ages - everyone just loved hearing about the stories and challenges Marion has come across in her career as a costume designer. Marion's work was simply stunning and we can all agree the audience was completely captivated.

Big shout outs to the ladies and gentlemen who came dressed in vintage attire! What a lovely surprise - they were a bit shy for photos - but they looked incredible in 1940s couture. Also, to the girls with their vintage hair, pincurls and victory rolls - stunning.

Thank you to everyone who came and a big thank you to Marion Boyce for being available to talk about her costume designing career. If you missed out on seeing Marion talk, here is an interview snippet from the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Youtube channel.

Dreaming of Dior - Lunch with Charlotte Smith

Charlotte Smith, curator for the pieces on display at the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition, was at Burrinja Cultural Centre yesterday to share with us the stories behind the Darnell Collection. With a full crowd seated at the luncheon, Charlotte delighted us with tales of how the collection began with her godmother, Doris Darnell, and how Charlotte came to be the custodian .

It is incredible how one dress can remind you of the most important moments of your life.

For Doris, it was the inspiration of dancing in a peach slipper silk-satin dress, cut on the bias with a low cut back and hundreds of buttons displayed in a Bryn Mawr boutique. Doris first spotted this vision of loveliness in the shop window in 1937, whilst she was still a student at Bryn Mawr College. However it was the Depression and the dress cost $40, which back then would have been almost half her tuition money - too much for a young lady on a scholarship. Also, Doris was a Quaker and to "covet" items was traditionally frowned upon.

These issues did not faze Doris, who visited the dress frequently - until one day, it went on sale for $20. She obtained $10 from her parents (in lieu of birthday and Christmas presents for the next few years) and saved for the rest. Doris wore her dress to a ball at Rutger's University - and on that night, she met her husband.

For Charlotte, who had always been familiar with her godmother's collection whilst growing up, her life changed when Doris arranged for Charlotte to take over as custodian. "I received a fax from my godmother saying she was going to be sending 70 boxes. Boxes of what, I wasn't sure; so I cleared out a small corner of my store thinking I was going to be receiving shoes boxes."

What actually arrived was a fully packed truck with boxes approximately waist to shoulder height. The entire delivery weighed around 1200kg and each box contained roughly 50 packaged items, creating a grand total of over 3,500 vintage pieces.

"It was like Christmas for 3 months. I remember the first dress I pulled out; it was a cream, silk chiffon dance dress from the 1920s. It was so light, it just floated in the air and the glass beads... they shone prisms all over my shop front."

It was when Charlotte unearthed her godmother's notebook, detailing all the stories behind the dresses that the value of the collection hit home. "It wasn't until then that I truly realised the importance of what I had been given. Some of the dresses had their own tags or notes attached saying "worn to at Queen Victoria's ball" or the date and event in which the garment was worn. It really is a privilege to be a guardian of not only an amazing collection but also of the stories of people's lives."

She looks familiar! One of the many mannequin
displays at the
Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition

The Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition is currently open. Don't miss out on your chance to see this incredible collection of vintage clothing - it really is something to see!


Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition - The Darnell Collection
When: November 9, 2012 - February 17, 2013
Where: Burrinja Cultural Centre, Cnr of Glenfern & Matson Drive, Upwey VIC 3158
Session Times:
Tuesday-Friday: 10.30am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10.30am-1pm and 1pm-4pm

Tickets Now Available
Purchase tickets online or call Burrinja Cultural Centre on (03) 9754 8723
For more information on the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition at Burrinja Cultural Centre, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Sing it Loud - Wear it Proud!! Eastern Regional Libraries Supports Loud Shirt Day

Rose, Raelene and Federica at Rowville
Library celebrating Loud Shirt Day!

Everyone has a shirt hidden in their closet that seems to have a visual radio-active energy that makes people eyes burn. It's the shirts we love to hate and hate to throw away, but one day a year we can let that shirt shine with Loud Shirt Day on October 19th. In the spirit of the Fashion Meets Fiction exhibition and bringing together fashion with their love of books - that's exactly what the staff at Eastern Regional Libraries did.

Loud Shirt Day is an initiative created by the First Voice Organisation that focuses on providing listening and spoken language therapy to deaf children in Australia and New Zealand. First Voice is a world class leader for the early childhood intervention and research for children who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Currently, First Voice have supported more than 1,000 hearing impaired children in Australian and New Zealand and perform almost 70 cochlear implant procedures a year.

And didn't the librarians look absolutely smashing? Eastern Regional Libraries raised $136.00 for Loud Shirt Day to go to the First Voice Organisation. Congratulations!

Fashion Meets Fiction Opens Today!!

Time to celebrate!! We are so excited!

After so much hard work getting it all set up, the gallery looks devine.

The Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition opens today at 10:30am at Burrinja Cultural Centre.

It's not too late to get tickets to the sessions, so book in now. Don't miss the opportunity to check out this display of literature and fashion from decades past - it is simply phenomenal to see how fashion and literature were so influential in characterising popular culture today.

Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition - The Darnell Collection
When: November 9, 2012 - February 17, 2013
Where: Burrinja Cultural Centre, Cnr of Glenfern & Matson Drive, Upwey VIC 3158
Sessione Times:
Tuesday-Friday: 10.30am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10.30am-1pm and 1pm-4pm

Tickets Now Available
Purchase tickets online or call Burrinja Cultural Centre on (03) 9754 8723
For more information on the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition at Burrinja Cultural Centre, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Guide Dogs Cocktail Party Cancelled

Fashionable Puppies

We are sad to annouce that the Official Fashion Meets Fiction Cocktail Party for Guide Dogs Victoria has been cancelled on Thursday November 15th at 7:30pm.

The exhibition extends their apologies for any inconvenience! Ticket holders will be notified and refunded.

However, we are still excited to be supporting Guide Dogs Victoria as our official charity - so stay tuned for the photos from a puppy fashion-shoot with guide dogs.

-- Cancelled --
The Official Fashion Meets Fiction Cocktail Party
When: Thursday 15th November 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Where: Burrinja Cultural Centre, Cnr of Glenfern & Matson Drive, Upwey VIC 3158

Vintage Cocktails for a Spicy Night at Fashion Meets Fiction!

Have you booked your ticket to the Official Fashion Meets Fiction Cocktail Party to help support Guide Dogs Vicotria?

Here are some vintage cocktail recipes that were popular in the 1930s and 1940s for inspiration! During this period, cocktails mainly consisted of gin, rum, brandy or whiskey. Many of the recipes had been around for a very long time, but it wasn't until the 1930s during Prohibition and the 1940s  that they gained widespread popularity.

Sidecar
1 measure Cointreau
1 measure brandy/cognac
1 measure lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into sugar-rimmed cocktail (martini) glass and garnish with a strip of lemon rind.
** Is said to be credited to a Parisian bar tender who was asked to prepare a beverage by an American captain that would take away the chill from being outside.

Mint Julep

2 measures bourbon (American whiskey)
8-10 fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp caster sugar
Put mint, sugar and a dash of hot water in a short glass, grind together, then spoon into a tall glass over crushed ice. Add bourbon, top off with crushed ice, stir well and stand to chill until the ice is partially melted. Garnish with mint leaves.
**One of the oldest cocktails of them all. Originiated in the southern United States, probably during the eighteenth century.

 

Gibson
half measure dry white vermouth
2.5 measures gin
2 cocktail onions
Pour vermouth and gin into a glass with ice, stir and let chill for 30 seconds. Skewer onions on a cocktail stick and place in a cocktail (Martini) glass so onions rest at the bottom. Strain vermouth/gin into the glass.
**As an alternative to the Martini, with an onion garnish instead of an olive, the Gibson is thought to have originated in San Francisco's Bohemian Club in 1898.

Manhattan
2 and a quarter measures American rye whiskey
1 measures sweet red vermouth
Dash of bitters
Maraschino cherry to garnish
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail (Martini) glass, garnish with the cherry.
 **Often referred to as "The King of Cocktails", the Manhattan is thought to have made its debut in the 1870s at a banquet hosted by the notorious Lady Randolph Churchill (yes, that's Winston's mum).

Zombie
1 measure white rum
1 measure light rum
1 measure dark rum
1 measure apricot brandy
1 measure pineapple juice
1 measure papaya juice
½ measure rum
Dash of grenadine
Shake all ingredients other than the 151-proof rum with ice. Pour drink and ice into a tall glass and top with the high-proof rum.
**Legendary 1930s recipe created at Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Hollywood as a hangover cure and became popular at the 1939 World's Fair in New York.


The Official Fashion Meets Fiction Cocktail Party
When: Thursday 15th November 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Where: Burrinja Cultural Centre, Cnr of Glenfern & Matson Drive, Upwey VIC 3158
Cost: $55.00
Bookings essential phone 9754 8723 or book online.

Guide Dogs Victoria Cocktail Party

Oh, how ever so civilised!

There is nothing quite like frocking up in your best evening attire and going out to mingle with a classy beverage in one hand and tickets for the Fashion Meets Fiction Exhibition in the other.

In honor of our fist week of opening and in support of our charity partnership with Guide Dogs Victoria, Fashion Meets Fiction will celebrate with an Official Cocktail Party at Burrinja Cultural Centre on Thursday 15 November at 7:30pm. All funds raised from this event will go to Guide Dogs Victoria.

All are welcome to partake of this enchanting evening of delightful fashions showcased from the Darnell Collection and support this wonderful cause.


When: Thursday 15th November 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Where: Burrinja Cultural Centre, Cnr of Glenfern & Matson Drive, Upwey VIC 3158
Cost: $55.00

Bookings essential phone 9754 8723 or book online.

Over $800 raised at the Boronia Fashion Parade

Jasminder, modelling a lovely
summer evening dress

Boronia Library has once again set the standard that you don't have to spend a million bucks to look like a million bucks. Style on a dime was all the buzz at Boronia Library last Friday when they hosted their annual Fashion Parade with a $860 dollars raised for charity. With a record turn out of over 70 people, guests were treated to a catwalk presentation and then unleashed to explore the clothing racks and stalls from the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Erica Louise's Recycled Fashions.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence had a wide selection of tempting items - there wasn't much left by the time everyone went home. All proceeds from the clothing sold on the night went to the Brotherhood of St Laurence, with a total of $500 raised. Most popular were the items that had been modelled in the catwalk show, with fashionable designer dresses including Ojay, Tokito and Forever New being sold for no more than $7.

"Fashion is so affordable," Hillary from Ferntree Gully remarked. "I don't know what to choose. I want to take everything home!"

Julie, from Boronia, a returning attendee, was thrilled with the skirt she found for $4. "I came last year and walked out with a beautiful blouse that has seen so much wear since I bought it. Now, I've found this skirt - I absolutely love it, can't wait to match it up at home."

 Sarah, along with her mum Valerie, also found a bargain in a beautiful dress (modelled by Jasminder in the above photo) for going out to dinner; "I think it's so pretty, can't wait to wear it."

Erica Louise from
Recycled Fashions

Erica Louise, from sustainable fashion blog Recycled Fashions, also had a stall with a number of gorgeous zipper brooches for sale with proceeds going to the McGrath Foundation. "It is definitely hard to choose," said Maria, from Boronia. "What a great idea to make with zippers - so clever - and they are so cute." If you missed out on these little gems, don't worry - you can still find these fantastic zipper brooches made by Erica Louise on her Recycled Fashions website.

With ticket sales and the contributions from Erica's zipper brooches, a total of $360 was raised for the McGrath Foundation.

There was also a chance to win two tickets to the Fashion Meets Fiction - Darnell Collection Exhibition at Burrinja Cultural Centre opening later this year. Congratulations to our winner Candice!


Behind the scenes, we also have to give a big shout out and thank you to everyone who was able to make this fantastic evening so successful.

Linda (Branch Manager) - Event Organiser
Karen - Wardrobe Mistress
Mark - Catwalk MC
Phillip - Lighting and Music DJ
Sharon, Bernadette, Jacqui, Judy and Jasminder - our gorgeous models. Well done, ladies!!
Erica Louise - for making those lovely zipper brooches from Recycled Fashions.
Ladies from the Brotherhood of St Laurence - for managing those busy, busy stalls!

Vintage Couture with Anne Dixon at Lilydale Library

Anne Dixon is one of our most popular fashion historians - and she is back again this October to present a selection of her Vintage Couture collection at Lilydale Library. Anne will provide a beautiful showcase of items ranging from the 1920s up the 1970s and discuss how fashion was influential on social attitudes and change. Creations from designers such as Chanel, Yves St Laurent and Dior will also be on display.

Also, one lucky guest will win two tickets to the Fashion Meets Fiction - The Darnell Collection Exhibition at Burrinja Cultural Centre that opens in November.

When: Tuesday 9th October 2:00pm
Where: Lilydale Library, Anderson Street, Lilydale
Cost: Free Event with Refreshments provided.

Bookings essential phone 9294 3120 or book online.

Willow - Our Guide Dogs Victoria Mascot

Guide Dogs Victoria were our official charity at our Media Launch at Burrinja Cultural Centre on August 17, 2012.

Here's a picture of the lovely Willow, who was our mascot for the day. Isn't she just beautiful?

To check out more photos of our media launch, head on over to our Facebook Page.

Dreaming of Hollywood - 1930s Fashion

Hollywood glamour - Painting
of Mae West (1930, artist unknown).
Featuring a bias-cut gown and
wide-brimmed hat.

Fashion was greatly influenced by the Depression that resulted from Wall Street Crash of October, 1929.  Flappers of the previous decade had matured and social and financial circumstances required people to change their attitudes and lifestyles. As noted by Sears Autumn Catalogue (1930) "Thrift is the spirit of the day. Reckless spending is a thing of the past." Fiction, such as Anita Shreve's Sea Glass is a great example of how lifestyles and fashion had to change during this transitional period.

As a result, fashion saw more garments being produced at home and the availability of patterns available on the market increased. Joseph Shapiro, who established Simplicity Sewing Pattern Company in 1927, was the leading supplier of home-sewing patterns, closely followed by Vogue and McCall. Less manufactured clothing was being purchased as a result. Clothing also became excessively mended and patched before being replaced.

Movies were one of the few escapes from the hard times of the decade and people would flock to the picture houses - referred to as the "talkies" as movies had moved from silent to having sound. As such, women began to idolise the fashion of Hollywood starlets. This saw the return of softer, more feminine style garments as opposed to the boyish, flapper look of the 1920s. Light fabrics such as crepes, chiffon and satins were used to create pieces that moved and flowed with the body. Hemlines dropped dramatically and there was the return of the natural waistline, which were accentuated by bias-cut dresses and skirts. Foreheads, previously hidden by cloche hats, were revealed under a variety of new millinery styles.

Fiction Comes to Life - Darnell Collection Media Launch

Linda in 1930s wool crepe.

Gorgeous garments, great company and some amazing stories - Burrinja Cultural Centre, along with Eastern Regional Libraries, held the Fashion Meets Fiction media launch on August 17, 2012. Charlotte Smith was there to present some of her vintage collection and talk about the histories behind the clothes.

Our models looked absolutely devine. Linda wore a 1930s wool crepe and sequin ensemble inspired by the clothes of Muriel Spark's "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". Jilly modelled a 1950s red silk taffeta dress inspired by the character Della Street in Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry mason Mysteries". Charlotte also modelled a 1960s gold lame and polyester hostess gown inspired by the wardrobe of Octopussy, a James Bond classic authored by Ian Fleming.

It was a wonderful morning tea, and thank you to all the people who attended! For more photos, check out our Facebook Page.

The Darnell Collection will be on display from 9 November to 17 February.
Tickets are now available - Don't miss out!