A new global-exclusive blockbuster fashion exhibition is landing at NGV this summer - supporting local jobs in the cultural capital, with the support of the Allan Labor Government.
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks today announced that Westwood | Kawakubo will open at NGV International from 7 December - celebrating the careers of two of fashion's favourite rule breakers in a world premiere.
The exhibition, funded through the Major Events Fund, features five decades of showstopping designs from international fashion icons Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons.
Both self-taught designers, Westwood and Kawakubo transformed fashion with their work that challenged taste, gender and beauty, as well as the function and form of clothing.
From legendary punk ensembles of the late 1970s popularised by The Sex Pistols, to Carrie Bradshaw's wedding dress from Sex and the City: The Movie, the exhibition brings together more than 140 designs, including works from the NGV Collection and loans from international museums and private collections.
It also includes nearly 40 works from a recent donation gifted by Comme des Garçons to the NGV especially for this exhibition, including a runway version of Rihanna's 2017 Met Gala red carpet dress, and works from the 2025 Spring Summer runway.
NGV will also present a free interactive exhibition for children and families - Let's Party: NGV Fashion for Kids - opening 28 November 2025 and featuring garments from the NGV's Fashion and Textile Collection which will allow children to create party outfit designs and have a fashion photography shoot.
Westwood | Kawakubo follows the NGV's 2024/25 summer exhibition, Yayoi Kusama exhibition, which broke the gallery's attendance records for ticketed exhibitions with more than 570,000 visitors, 24 per cent of whom travelled from interstate or overseas for the exhibition.
The Labor Government continues to secure world-class, exclusive events - from the Grand Prix and Grand Slam to NFL, NBA, the Boxing Day Test, AFL Grand Final, and more - driving $40 billion in tourism spending and making Victoria the only place to experience the biggest and best events year-round.
Westwood | Kawakubo will be on display from 7 December 2025 to 19 April 2026 at NGV International. Entry fees apply. Tickets and information are available via the NGV website.
As stated by Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks
"Westwood | Kawakubo is more than a major cultural event - it's a jobs and tourism powerhouse."
"This exhibition will attract visitors from across Australia and the world, creating and supporting local jobs, driving our economy and reinforcing Victoria's position as the nation's creative and cultural capital."
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"The NGV's summer blockbuster exhibition is one of the most anticipated events on the Gallery's calendar of year-round programming - and this year's Westwood | Kawakubo will be no exception"
"Since these exhibitions began in 2013, visitation has more than doubled, highlighting the incredible appetite for cultural experiences over the summer period among both Victorians and visitors alike."
As stated by Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor
"This blockbuster exhibition once again showcases the south of Melbourne as a vibrant cultural hub - already home to one of the highest concentrations of arts and cultural organisations anywhere in the world."
"It's another reminder of why the NGV is the envy of so many cities around the globe."
As stated by NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM
"This exhibition celebrates two leading female fashion designers from different cultural backgrounds, who both had strong creative spirits and pushed boundaries."
"Through more than 140 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."
