For most of us, haute couture lives behind velvet ropes and glass cases. But on Saturday 15 August, art historian Dolla Merrillees will open a door onto a more private world: the French fashion collectors who acquire, preserve and interpret garments far from any museum wall.
The talk, “Collecting couture: private collections and fashion culture in France”, begins at 2pm in the Art Gallery of NSW’s Domain Theatre. Merrillees will trace how individual collectors shape historical and contemporary dress, reflecting not only personal obsession but also the wider stories that keep France at the centre of the couture imagination.
Merrillees knows public institutions intimately. She is Director of Western Sydney Creative at Western Sydney University and previously led the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences as Director and CEO. Her career spans curation, writing and collaboration with leading fashion designers and architects. She brings a rare perspective: someone equally at home in the archives of the Powerhouse and the private salons of Paris.
The talk draws on research into how connoisseurs outside institutional frameworks sustain and reframe French couture identity. Rather than the official canon seen in galleries, these collections reveal taste, networks and the kind of devotion that turns a gown into a story across generations.
If you plan to attend, note that the lift connecting the Naala Nura Ground Floor to Lower Level 3 is out of service from 22 June to October 2026 for essential upgrades. Access is via escalator; the gallery’s Visitor Experience team can help with any accessibility concerns at [email protected] or 02 9225 1700. Bookings and further enquiries go through 02 9225 1878.
Public transport is the simplest route. Bus 441 from the Queen Victoria Building stops near the gallery, and St James station is a short walk across Hyde Park. Metered parking on Art Gallery Road and Mrs Macquaries Road is limited; the Domain Car Park or Woolloomooloo options can be pre-booked if you must drive.
Before or after the talk, the Royal Botanic Garden and Hyde Park sit at the gallery’s doorstep, and the AGNSW’s August calendar holds other events worth folding into a day spent with art and fashion.
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Art Gallery of New South Wales
Major public art museum in Sydney housing Australian, Asian, European and contemporary collections. Located in The Domain, it offers exhibitions, talks and educational programs.
Western Sydney Creative
Initiative at Western Sydney University focused on creative industries, cultural production and community engagement in Western Sydney.
In a city that loves its fashion moments, the chance to see haute couture through the eyes of a private collector rather than a museum label is a quiet but significant shift. As Merrillees unpacks the secret language of French fashion collecting, the gallery itself becomes a kind of salon: a place where what is worn, kept and cherished finally gets its due.