The National Gallery of Victoria has announced its summer blockbuster event – Westwood | Kawakubo – a world-exclusive exhibition celebrating two of fashion’s most revolutionary designers.
Opening December 7, the blockbuster showcase spotlights the boundary-pushing work of Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo across five decades of radical design.
The exhibition will bring together more than 140 iconic garments that redefined fashion’s possibilities. From Westwood’s punk creations that soundtracked the Sex Pistols era to Kawakubo’s avant-garde Comme des Garçons designs – including the runway version of Rihanna’s unforgettable 2017 Met Gala gown and Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding dress from Sex And The City – the collection challenges conventional notions of beauty, gender and form.
“This exhibition celebrates two leading female fashion designers from different cultural backgrounds, who both had strong creative spirits and pushed boundaries,” said NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM.
The showcase includes nearly 40 pieces recently donated by Comme des Garçons specifically for this event, alongside loans from international institutions and the NGV’s own collection.
The exhibition follows the record-breaking success of the Yayoi Kusama show, which attracted over 570,000 visitors – nearly a quarter from interstate or overseas. Alongside the main event, the NGV will host Let’s Party: NGV Fashion for Kids, a free interactive exhibition opening November 28 that invites young visitors to design party outfits and participate in fashion shoots.
Westwood | Kawakubo runs until April 19, 2026 at NGV International, offering fashion enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience the legacy of two designers who transformed clothing into a medium of rebellion and self-expression. Tickets are available through the NGV website.
