Rochford 'Woollen Mermaid' swimsuit
Maker
Brian Rochford
Date2008
Object number00047707
NameSwimsuit
MediumWool/elastane (Spandex or Lycra)
DimensionsOverall: 57 x 25 mm
Copyright© Brian Rochford
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Queensland University of Technology
DescriptionA woollen 'Mermaid' swimsuit designed by Brian Rochford and made by Queensland University of Technology. B
Australian swimwear designers Brian Rochford, Paula Stafford and Gloria Smythe were invited to reinterpret the classic one-piece swimsuit using a technologically advanced wool/elastane textile for the Australian National Maritime Museum's 2009 exhibition 'Exposed! The Story of Swimwear'. These Honorary designers submitted drawings which were then constructed by Queensland University of Technology fashion technicians. The swimsuits were displayed along with other swimsuits by established and emerging designers to bring together responses to the classic black one-piece swimsuit. The use of this fabric articulates the technological importance of performance textiles to fashioning a modern garment, whilst acknowledging the importance of wool as a yarn to Australia and the swimsuit's history.
Rochford's sleek one-piece Woollen Mermaids design taps into the lean, athletic 1980s aesthetic. It features clever back lacing which skims the body. Cut high on the thigh, with cheeky treatments, it is a youthful and timeless design.
HistoryBrian Rochford, known as the King of Swim, was an innovator who catered to the youth market from the late 1960s. He redesigned the bikini top, removing the underwire and experimenting with different cuts, styles and prints in lightweight lycra fabrics. Rochford closely collaborated with DuPont and Heathcote Textiles in Melbourne to create new textiles that showcased the body for fashion. Designs were embellished with innovative details including frills, jewel trims and zigzag binds.SignificanceThese swimsuits show the design emphases of Australian swimwear designers Brian Rochford, Gloria Smythe and Paula Stafford and their imaginative response to the Australian National Maritime Museum's 'Woollen Mermaid' project.
