FASHION EXHIBITIONS
Throughout her decades-long practice Kara’s designs have been featured in 33 runway shows and 16 fashion exhibitions around the world.
The Lyrebird Dress
Commissioned by NH Architecture for an exhibition in recognition of two decades of practice ‘Brand New’ is at 45 Downstairs, Flinders Lane, 3-13 July 2024. This exhibition explores the material legacy of iconic Melbourne precincts including the crimson interior of Melbourne’s State Theatre. The journey of evoking this beloved interior began with choosing a luscious French silk/gold thread brocade textile from The House of Franke Stuart. Looking at the red velvet curtains in the State Theatre with their gold painted Australian flora, the lyrebird feather inspired  the dress neckline. The hemline shape references architectural plans of the theatre and so begin a journey in collaboration with NH Architecture.
In 2019 Kara presented The Pollen Dress in patchwork made from silk offcuts.
In 2018 Naiad (water nymph) was an innovative creation by Kara made from gold ‘space blanket’ material.
In 2018 at Hong Kong Business of Design Week, Kara created her first patchwork silk Talitha dress made from textile offcuts that she’d been saving for up to 20 years. This dress was presented at the We Are Luxury exhibition, curated by Virginia Dowzer for Creative Victoria’s fashion showcase.
From 2016-2019 Kara was invited by curator Virginia Dowzer to participate in exhibitions by Industry Creative Collective, an initiative by Creative Victoria for Melbourne Fashion Week.
In 2016 Kara exhibited three spring Talitha dresses with custom made headdresses.
In 2017 Kara created the Deluxe Talitha with bonnet.
In 2016 one of Kara’s very first dress designs from The Samoan Sirens was featured in the 200 Years of Australian Fashion exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. This was purchased along with other examples of her Sirens work by the NGV for their permanent collection.
Project, a design collaboration with Shelley Lasica from ‘98-‘08, was celebrated with a dress commissioned for Woolmark 2000 Fashion Festival’s publicity. It is now housed in the permanent Fashion and Textiles collections in the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
In 1990 Kara was one of eight young designers chosen by a panel of industry experts for ‘Wild Ice’ Citations fashion spectacle presented by Mode Magazine and Cointreau at a 400-guest gala in Sydney. Her collection, Antarctic Sirens, was her response to the brief ‘The White Wilderness’ which won her a return ticket to Paris to broaden her creative horizons.
In 1988 Kara was invited to participate in the Australian bicentennial exhibition Australian Fashion: The Contemporary Art at the V&A in London which celebrated Australia’s unique fashion scene.
The brief, to reflect the peculiarly Australian experience, was interpreted by Kara through the lens of Melbourne’s famous Spring Racing Carnival. Her design, Melbourne Cup, won the hearts of the British press and her work was featured on the cover of many of the major British newspapers.
The exhibition would go on tour to Powerhouse Museum, Sydney in 1989 and Marimura Art Museum, Tokyo in 1991.
