This Era Archive (Credits: thiseraarchive on Instagram)
\n\nOne of the best ways to understand life and fashion is to spend more time with its past. And now, in Melbourne, designers can now do exactly that. Tucked inside the Abbotsford Convent is This Era Archive, a fashion library containing around 1,000 vintage garments from the 20th century, including pieces by Prada, Christian Dior, Hermès, Schiaparelli, Margiela, Kenzo and Valentino. The difference is that these clothes are not being sold, displayed behind glass or reserved for red-carpet wardrobes. They are being borrowed for research.
\n\nThe archive, founded and curated by Australian fashion designer Hannah Canham, is designed to give designers and fashion students something increasingly difficult to access: the opportunity to study important garments up close, and even see how they move on a body.
\n\nThis Era Archive has been operating since 2018, when Canham was living in Madrid, and the collection eventually travelled with her back to Melbourne in 2024. It reopened for commercial use in March 2026 and is described as Australia's first fashion library of its kind. The collection is more than a simple catalogue of famous labels. Canham's eye is drawn to the details that can disappear in…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle
