Designer label honours Hollywood namesake

Trish Nugent-Lyne with a Lucille Ward Art Deco-era dress. Photo / Karen Hughes

The Whanganui Regional Museum is pleased to announce the next edition of Ko te Kakahu o te Marama — Outfit of the Month.

The outfit to be displayed during December is a sophisticated Art Deco-era garment designed and made in Whanganui, sometime between 1926 and 1935.

The designer was Dorothy Lucille Ward. Her label was called Lucille Ward, a name synonymous with the American actress of the same name, popular at that time.

Collection manager Trish Nugent-Lyne says the dress is constructed in three layers with a hidden pattern that is only revealed with movement of the dress.

"It starts with a bottom silk slip, then a tuille layer, then a georgette layer. The embroidery underneath wouldn't be seen until the wearer was walking, or dancing — that's when you would see all that beautiful decoration."

The dress was donated to the museum by Jean Lambert who bequeathed a large number of items when she died in 1975.

As it was designed and made in Whanganui, the outfit has been especially selected to coincide with the museum's next major exhibition Whanganui Mumu — Whanganui by Design. The exhibition will also open in December to showcase the extensive and dynamic design heritage of Whanganui.

Trish Nugent-Lyne will host an informal 15-minute floor talk to present the dress to the public. The floor talk will be held at 12.15pm on Friday, November 25. Entry is free and all are welcome. The dress will then be on exhibition in the museum throughout December.