- Published:
- Friday 5 December 2025 at 11:00 am
The Allan Labor Government is bringing a world-premiere summer blockbuster to the NGV, showcasing two of fashion’s most influential and rule-breaking designers in an exclusive Melbourne exhibition.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today joined NGV Director Tony Ellwood to preview Westwood | Kawakubo, opening 7 December and featuring the boundary-pushing work of British designer Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo.
Secured by the Labor Government, the exhibition brings together nearly 150 works from the NGV Collection, major loans from international museums and private archives, and more than 40 recent Comme des Garçons pieces newly gifted to the NGV.
Both Westwood and Kawakubo – entirely self-taught – transformed global fashion by challenging conventions of taste, gender, beauty and the very form and function of clothing.
Families will also be able to enjoy a free NGV kids exhibition, Let’s Party: NGV Fashion for Kids, which showcases garments from the NGV Fashion and Textile Collection and invites children to design their own outfits and step into the role of fashion photographer.
The exhibition adds to a massive summer of major events across Victoria, including Rory McIlroy at the Australian Open Golf, the Boxing Day Ashes Test, the Australian Open tennis, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Good Charlotte in Bendigo and the Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Westwood | Kawakubo runs at NGV International from 7 December 2025 to 19 April 2026. Tickets and information are available at www.ngv.vic.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
“We’re bringing the groundbreaking designs of two global fashion icons to Victoria — so people can experience them with a train ticket, not a plane ticket.”
“These exhibitions not only attract thousands of visitors and tourists, but they also support local jobs, boost Melbourne’s economy, and cement our city as a global cultural capital during the summer months.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks
“The NGV has established itself as a major destination for fashion in our region, amassing the largest and most significant fashion and textiles collection in the southern hemisphere – I’m sure audiences of all ages from near and far will be drawn in to explore, imagine and marvel.”
Quote attributable to Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor
“The south of Melbourne boasts the highest density of arts and cultural organisations anywhere in the world — and this exhibition adds even more depth to an already extraordinary cultural offering.”
Quote attributable to NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM
“Through nearly 150 designs from the NGV Collection and key international loans, Westwood | Kawakubo invites audiences to reflect on the enduring legacies of these groundbreaking designers and contemplate the ways in which fashion can be a vehicle for self-expression and freedom.”
Quotes attributable to Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements
“We’re thrilled to be supporting this cultural highlight on Victoria’s blockbuster major events calendar. 2026 is shaping up to be another bumper year with the Australian Open, Melbourne Fashion Festival, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond musical and the NFL Melbourne Game.”