Dress circle

Imagine being told that you have just been chosen to inherit what is considered one of the best private collections of antique clothing in the world. This happened three years ago to Charlotte Smith, who was born in Hong Kong, raised in America and now lives in the Blue Mountains.

Nearly four years ago Smith learned that her American godmother, Doris Darnell, had decided she was the right person to become custodian of her women's clothing collection.

Then the boxes started arriving. About 70 of them (and they're still coming, she says) weighing about 1400 kg and containing 3500 items of clothing dating from 1790 to 1995.

As well as dresses, mostly one-off creations, came associated vintage undergarments, handbags and shoes, plus reference books and carefully researched provenance for each garment. Did we mention the 325 hats?

Smith was initially overwhelmed. She was aware her godmother had been listed in Who's Who because of her collecting but she had not been expecting the quantity. Some museums have smaller collections.

She'd already promised Darnell, who is still alive, that she wouldn't separate the collection, so after assessing the scale of the task she decided she'd continue to exhibit the clothes in the same way her godmother had done, through a series of lectures about the history of fashion.

So far she has presented such diverse shows as the Ice Gala Fundraising Ball at the National Gallery of Victoria and Agatha Christie Elegance at the Robert Stein Winery in Mudgee.

Smith, who studied art history, is amply qualified for the task of carrying on her godmother's work. She's also taken on the task at a time when collecting vintage clothing is especially popular.

This is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia, which may have been inspired by the Dressed to Kill exhibition that was held at the National Gallery of Australia in 1993-94. Curated by Roger Leong, it was one of the first times fashion had been treated as fine art. The exhibition looked at clothes made by Charles Frederick Worth, an Englishman who dominated the Paris fashion scene in the mid-19th century, through to newer designs by Jean Paul Gaultier and Issey Miyake, all considered masterpieces.

The Darnell collection covers similar territory but goes further back. Among the earliest examples is an 1820 wedding dress, one of the first times the white was used for this occasion.

Doris Darnell didn't set out to build a collection. As a Quaker growing up in staid Pennsylvania in the 1940s, she was discouraged from keeping anything as frivolous as clothing. She wore her mother's old dresses and this inspired friends and relatives to hand over their mother's and grandmother's unwanted dresses. Some of these dated to the 19th century. Then, as her reputation grew, she found herself being offered pieces of almost unbelievable value.

Later in life she was invited to present highlights from her collection aboard cruise ships. This inspired many of the first-class passengers to donate their ball gowns from the previous season. Some of these are among the most valuable in the Darnell collection. This was all done before anyone imagined that vintage clothing would became the important market that it is today.

Smith remembers the disbelief she felt when a Christian Dior slipper silk ballgown, from 1948, was one of the first things she unwrapped when the first batch of boxes arrived. She estimates it would be worth at least $20,000.

According to her godmother's provenance, that ballgown was worn by a Hollywood star at an Academy Awards ceremony.

The stories that go with the dresses are what make the collection so valuable. There's a hand-patched dress worn by a pioneer crossing into Minnesota in the 1850s and the gown worn by the daughter-in-law of US President Taft (1909-13) when she married his son.

Much of the collection covers the first half of the 20th century but there's also a sexy little corseted black suit from Thierry Mugler's 1995 Paris collection.

Smith says any piece of fashion that is original and beautifully made is worth collecting, regardless of age. Quality of manufacture and a sense of history are the most important considerations. A designer label is a bonus but not essential, as these are a relatively modern affectation. What makes an item of particular significance is if it is representative of its period (eg, a flapper dress) and has not been altered or updated. Keen collectors can spot dodgy alterations from 20 paces.

Obviously not everyone has the time and space to look after 3500 items of vintage clothing. Smith keeps hers at a friend's house, which fortunately is unoccupied at the moment.

Some experts don't recommend vintage clothing as an investment because fabric can deteriorate quickly. It helps if you live in a cold climate and it's a good idea, but not always practical, to allocate one room or wardrobe for your collection. Museum-quality covers and boxes are available, but expensive.

Another tip, handed down by godmother Darnell: only collect frocks in pristine condition.

My collection

Trained as an art historian in America, Charlotte Smith lived in New York and Paris before marrying and moving to the Blue Mountains. She ran a small antiques business in Blackheath before receiving the astonishing news that she was about to inherit her godmother's world-renowned collection of vintage clothing.

Fortunately she already loved fashion and had some knowledge, having once worked as an intern in the costume and textile department of a museum. Her duty now is to keep the collection complete and carry on the show-and-tell tradition set by her godmother, Doris Darnell.

The Darnell Collection, which is promoted as "two centuries of elegance", has now been registered as a non-profit organisation and Smith is especially interested in making it available to fashion students. If you would like to help support the collection by making a donation or become a volunteer, email [e-mail] or phone [phone].