Raid your wardrobe. Put on something you love to wear for how it makes you feel. Come along to Huskisson Pictures, 5.30pm Thursday 27 August, for a special Arts Muster Festival screening of The Dressmaker. This community event is an evening of fun, frocks and fund raising for high student scholarships to attend Arts Muster workshops and events. Book tickets now. Gather some friends and enjoy the frolic together.
The Dressmaker
When the classic Australian film The Dressmaker—directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, starring Kate Winslett, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth and a stellar cast of other Australian actors—was released in 2015, The Guardian review described it as, ’ … a loud, batty, fancy-frocked, sashed-and-stockinged revenge story pitched somewhere between an outback period piece and a Wile E Coyote cartoon.
‘Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage (Kate Winslet) returns to her home town of Dungatar armed with bad arse seamstress skills … after a period studying haute couture in Paris. She gets off the bus sucking on a ciggie, declaring “I’m back, you bastards.”’
As the film unfolds, Tilly proceeds to create a series of spectacular dresses for the drab town’s drably-dressed women. The before and after scenes show these bespoke dresses totally transforming the women and their sense of themselves. They even transform the town itself, when the women are artfully posed along the dusty main street of Dungatar, the colour, form, shape and movement of these beautifully designed and made frocks brings startling new life to the town.
We all wear clothes. And, we all know that what we wear affects how we feel—how we feel in our body, how we feel about ourself, how we behave. Your best formal wear may make you stand taller, feel more confident, be more outgoing. You may have a comfy cardigan that makes you feel relaxed and cosy, shoes that give you a certain edge, a piece of jewellery that makes you feel happy, a jaunty hat with attitude …
Think about the garments, shoes, accessories you love to wear for how they make you feel, and pick something particular to wear to A Frolic At The Movies.
The Former Dressmakers
What audience members choose to wear on the night and how it makes them feel will be the basis of a short talk by two Shoalhaven artists before the film screening. Greer Taylor and Dr Natalie McDonagh—former dressmakers with international careers—will take a light-hearted look at the effects textiles and clothing have on us and our sense of who and how we are in the world.
You may know of Greer Taylor today as the notable sculptor whose public artwork, phases, has been standing in front of of the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre since 2022, or as a tutor presenting a workshop, Ephemeral Wonderings and Wanderings, in this year’s Arts Muster series of two-day workshops (29-30 August, tickets still available).
Prior to all this, in her early career, Greer spent 13 years in the fashion industry as a designer and pattern-maker, which morphed into a textile art practice making wearable art.
“Making ‘art clothes’ was a way to combine my love of body decoration, clothing and textiles with an art-based approach, rather than a market driven one.”
Over a seven year period in the late 1980s-early 1990s, Greer’s work was exhibited extensively in Australia as well as overseas, won awards, and was featured in many publications. Two pieces were collected in that period by Australian regional galleries.
More recently, in 2019 the Powerhouse Museum accepted a donation of a coat and hat ensemble by Greer, gifted by Sylvia Sarah Pepper who purchased it in 1988.
The Powerhouse Collection notes state that the hand made ensemble, ‘is a high quality example of Greer’s wearable art objects, which combine simply structured garments with intricate embellishments and artistic flair.’
Greer says of these complex jackets, “I treat the jackets like bits of jewellery—a decoration in fact. I love tassels, knots, buttons and other things that stick out in a more visual way”.
Join Greer for A Frolic At The Movies and hear her in conversation with Dr Natalie McDonagh, setting the audience up for a fresh viewing of The Dressmaker. Like Tilly, Kate Winslett’s character in the movie, Natalie originally trained in haute couture (bespoke, made-to-measure) dressmaking so knows exactly what’s involved for Tilly to whip up the spectacular frocks featured in the film.
And what would have been involved for the film’s costume designers, Margot Boyce and Marion Wilson.
EVENT DETAILS
What A Frolic At The Movies
When Thursday 27 August 2026 / 5.30pm on the forecourt for pre-movie refreshments
Where Huskisson Pictures / 19 Sydney Street corner of Owen Street
Tickets $25 each. Book here.
Movie The Dressmaker (2015) is directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, adapted from Rosalie Ham’s novel of the same name (2000). Kate Winslet plays the lead and is joined by a veritable who’s who of Australian cinema, including among others: Judy Davis; Liam Hemsworth; Hugo Weaving; Rebecca Gibney; Kerry Fox; Sarah Snook; Caroline Goodall; Alison Whyte; Julia Blake; Shane Jacobson; Shane Bourne; Barry Otto.
Sip + Snack Gather on the Husky Pictures forecourt from 5.30pm for a warm beverage and artisanal nibble.
Share As you sip and snack, take a moment to tell us, in a few written words, how your chosen garment or accessory makes you feel. Go into the lucky draw to win a $50 Gift Voucher to spend in Artfulmind Pop-up Gallery/Shop at Huskisson Artisans Market (Sunday 30 August).
Listen Two local artists, Greer Taylor and Dr Natalie McDonagh—former dress makers with international careers—take a light-hearted look at the effects textiles and clothing have on us and our sense of who and how we are in the world.
Hear Winner of the lucky draw prize announced.
Support All profits from ticket sales go to scholarships for high school students to participate in Arts Muster workshops and events.
