Australian Fashion in Singapore from the 1960s to the 1980s
By Leonard Wong
Australia was a major trading partner of fashion and textiles in Singapore from the 1960s to the 1980s. The constant innovation of fabrics and designs for an Australian climate contributed to cultural and economic exchanges between Australia and Singapore.
Introduction
In the 1960s, Australia began rapidly expanding its fashion and textiles industry exports to Singapore and Malaysia. Multiple feasibility studies by trade representatives supported by the Australian government concluded that the two ASEAN countries were a suitable springboard to larger markets such as Japan, Europe, and the United States. Up to the 1980s, Singapore’s news media reported a variety of topics related to Australian fashion such as trade and industry updates, runway events, and the latest trends. Similarities in climate (during the hotter months in Australia) and lifestyles ensured the success of Australian designs amongst Singaporean fashion-conscious consumers. Fashionable clothing made with lightweight fabrics best suited for our tropical climate was stocked in department stores Robinson’s and Tangs. Apart from clothing designed for the general public, catwalks part of trade missions featuring Australian-designed high fashion gowns were held in such stores and at hotels. Australian companies began joint ventures with Singapore’s industrialists to locally produce clothing to meet the increase in demand. The overseas companies provided expert training, material supplies, and job opportunities to the locals. The fashion trade was thus central to cultivating ties between Australia and Singapore.
Figure 1. “A richly embroidered nightgown and negligee combination designed in Australia,” 22 September 1963 (Taken from: The Straits Times)
The Australian Textile Industry’s Expansion into Singapore
The Australian fashion and textile industry, amongst the most significant contributors to its economy, began expanding its export markets in the 1960s with support from its government. In 1963, the total value of clothing and footwear was reported to be worth SGD3700 million, making it the country’s third-largest retail sales behind the food and motor industries. This figure was an increase of SGD1,225 million from the past decade. The upward trend of expansion to international markets was evident throughout this time as Singapore’s newspapers provided multiple updates on Australia’s fashion industry. An article titled “Modern Fabrics For Many Uses” published in The Straits Times cited examples of domestic manufacturing expansion for mills that produced woollen and worsted fabrics, synthetics like polyester, and semi-synthetics like viscose rayon and acetate fibre. In 1964, a leading Melbourne manufacturer of sportswear made from synthetic material, Finlaw Industries, had hoped to set up a joint venture with Singaporean companies to meet the constant pressure of increased demands. Supply of materials, technical knowledge, and expert training would be provided to Singapore-based employees. The managing director of the company, prompted by the Department of Trade in Melbourne to personally conduct a market study, found that fashion-conscious Singaporeans would also find his company’s lightweight designs to be suitable. Until the 1980s, the Victorian government continued to encourage designers to look towards long-term exports, and feasibility studies still found that Singapore was a suitable market for designer labels.
Competitions for fashion design and textile developments were frequently held by Australian government boards and private companies to raise the quality of its industry in international markets. A 1963 article titled “Fashion Awards Inspire Styles” described some of these contests in which participants compete for quality, style, and design. Figure 1 shows an example of Australian fashion design related to such contests. A synthetic fibre company held “Diamond Star” awards for the best Australian-made lingerie to encourage innovations, advancements, interest, and higher standards of production. The Australian Wool Board conducted annual gold medal awards for top-quality woven fabrics and garments made from pure wool. The event was reported to have garnered a larger interest in wool as a fashionable material. Another major fashion event was the Gown of the Year contest which consisted of three categories; Gown, Racewear, and Leisurewear. The winning designs from these events were often promoted in Singapore.
Trade missions, events, and runway shows were held in Singapore across the decades to promote Australian designs. Robinson’s organised a twice-daily show to feature 16 exclusive high fashion outfits designed by top Australian designers. The stand-out piece was an SGD6500 ball gown designed by Hartnell of Melbourne, which was the winner of the 1964 Gown Of The Year competition. Sales were not the priority since the goal of the exhibition was to raise the reputation of Australian-made garments on the international scene. Fashion personality Miss Andree Navarre (Figure 2) stated that the objective “...is to show to the world what we are able to produce in beauty and high fashion,” and in a follow-up article said, “we are your next-door neighbours, and yet you go to Paris to get your fashions. We want you to come to us instead.” A more commercial trade-only dinner and exhibition titled “Australian Summer Fashion” was held in 1986 at Raffles City and featured an array of swimsuits, casual wear, and high fashion gowns from 11 Australian companies. The event, attended by more than 250 local boutique buyers, garnered a positive response as it made SGD290,000 in direct sales over the Australians’ week-long stay. Richard Muirhead, director of marketing in Western Australia’s Technology and Industry Development Authority, also known as TIDA, stated that the international gateway of Singapore was a logical place to gain exposure because people here were fashionably dressed.
The Appeal and Trends Of Australian Fashion Design
Figure 2. Fashion personality Andree Navarre models a gown at Robinson’s designed by Hartnell of Melbourne, 5 March 1964
(Taken from: The Straits Times)
The hot summers of Australia make Australians specialists in creating fabrics suited for warm weather designs. Constant research in textile developments by scientists led to designs that were crafted with quality lightweight fabrics suited for the outdoors, and this naturally found its appeal amongst Singaporean consumers. Typical designs and features on runways include fashionable swimwear made from nylon, lightweight dresses, and slacks made from a woven one-way stretch. Likewise, for business suits, blends of man-made and worsted fabrics were made available to the working professional. Even the wintry fabric of wool was made lighter than cotton to adapt to the tropics. An article described the wonder four-ounce wool called “Belmerino” as “light as air terylene and dacrons.” It also reports that contrary to mass production, which was common at that time, Australian manufacturing was known for its “Sydney-Melbourne finish.” This is in reference to workrooms that “...place a high premium on technical features, seam-overlocking, and button-holding.” From these weather conditions also came utilitarian garments specially for summer. An example was the “sand parka” jacket, reported to be available in pastel colours, made to be worn over slacks and shorts or as a cover-up for swimsuits. New developments in fabric manufacturing paved the way for new trends, and these designs filled the market gap for an alternative to European winterwear amongst Singaporean consumers.
Fashion trends from Australia were consistently reported in Singapore throughout the 1960s to the 1980s, with some based on European trends with a twist that adapted the trends to local tastes. Versatile garments suited for a multitude of occasions were a recurring theme. An article written in 1963 reported that the “junior executive” look was the basis for many Australian designs. This trend was about the convertible day-to-night dresses or three-piece suits for the professional adult who is “...demure by day, and glamourous by night.” Colours were vibrant and styles were carefree as Australia’s consumer base became younger and more adventurous in taste. Dress and dinner suits appeared in unconventional colours catering to the new trend of males reportedly putting more effort into dressing compared to before when “Australian men once looked like unmade beds.” Men's fashion followed Ivy League stripes which consisted of college boy shirts, button-down collars, and collar stud necklines. Textile designers were reported to develop original designs featuring Australian motifs after following European ideas. A Sydney firm, whose designs followed Paris trends but were altered for local and overseas appeal, was reported to be used by famous couturiers Helm, Esterel, and Dior in their Fall/Winter collections that year.
However, Australian designs were expensive and often one season behind Europe due to the reversal of seasons. Feedback from Singaporean merchandisers who attended a trade show in 1986 said that “designs are so-so, but cuts fit well for Asian bodies,” and that prices were 15% higher than French and Italian labels due to the high import costs of fabrics. Australia may have supplied summer clothes, but European colours and designs were more up-to-date. Ultimately, the presence of Australian fashion in Singapore could still be considered a success and has therefore influenced local fashions of that time.
Conclusion
Australian fashion was reported in Singaporean newspapers most frequently in the 1960s, beginning from pre-independence Singapore, and waned towards the 1980s. Nonetheless, the influence of Australian fashion and its industry played a part in the economical development of Singapore. The relationship was mutual as Singapore served as a springboard for further international developments for the Australian fashion industry. Trade events and runway shows that featured Australian high fashion garments raised the reputation of its industry amongst Singaporean consumers, and constant textile developments further established the position of Australia as a country known for its fashion. Commercially, Singaporean consumers were treated to a greater variety of tropically-suited, practical, and versatile designs for different occasions, even if they may not have been the most trendy compared to European designs.
Articles Referenced
[1] Fashion Industry is one of nation’s biggest in sales value (1963) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.61.3?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f09%2f1963&DT=30%2f09%2f1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article
[2] Modern fabrics for many uses (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19631230-1.2.92[3] Australian garment firm considering joint venture here (1964)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19640327-1.2.68.8[4] Stepping into a world of high fashion (1964)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19640305-1.2.86.1?ST=1&AT=advanced&K=fashion&KA=fashion&DF=01%2F03%2F1964&DT=31%2F03%2F1964&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&filterS=0&Display=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[5] Our models can rise to world-class, says fashion expert (1964)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19640306-1.2.37[6] All-season fashion from Down-Under (1986) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880303-1.2.64.4.1
[7] Its the ‘Junior Executive’ look (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.61.3?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f09%2f1963&DT=30%2f09%2f1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[8] Woollen clothes and so light (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.61.1?ST=1&AT=advanced&K=fashion&KA=fashion&DF=01%2F09%2F1963&DT=30%2F09%2F1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&filterS=0&Display=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[9] New lightweight dresses (1964) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19640317-1.2.105.2?ST=1&AT=advanced&K=fashion&KA=fashion&DF=01%2F03%2F1964&DT=31%2F03%2F1964&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&filterS=0&Display=0&QT=fashion&oref=article
[10] Casual clothes are for carefree living (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19631230-1.2.81.1[11] The parka from snow land to warm beaches (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19631230-1.2.85?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f12%2f1963&DT=31%2f12%2f1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[12] Children follow the adult trends (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19631230-1.2.84?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f12%2f1963&DT=31%2f12%2f1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[13] Beating about the bush (1986)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19860907-1.2.70.4.3?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f09%2f1986&DT=30%2f09%2f1986&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=1&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[14] Silhouette now slimmer than ever (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.74?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f09%2f1963&DT=30%2f09%2f1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[15] It’s no longer the penguin look for men at those functions (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.72?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f09%2f1963&DT=30%2f09%2f1963&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article[16] Aussie designers’ motifs are a big success (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.81[17] Fashion awards inspire styles (1963)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19630922-1.2.66[18] Designs from Down-Under (1986)
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19860626-1.2.62.2.2?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=01%2f06%2f1986&DT=30%2f06%2f1986&NPT=&L=English&CTA=Article&SortBy=Oldest&K=fashion&KA=fashion&P=3&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=fashion&oref=article
