Olga Horak in Hibodress Blouse
Object numberM2017/023:004
TitleOlga Horak in Hibodress Blouse
CreatorHibodress
DescriptionThis black and white image depicts Olga Horak modelling a white sleeveless Hibodress Blouse.
After surviving the horrors of Auschwitz and death march to Bergen-Belsen, Olga immigrated to Australia with her husband John Horak in 1949. Two weeks after their arrival, Hibodress was established, manufacturing women’s blouses and wholesaling to department stores across Australia.
John – a qualified textile engineer from the Czech Republic – worked alongside Olga who, despite no formal training, had an innate eye for fashion resulting in a bold line of wash-and-wear blouses. For many post-war Jewish immigrants, the fashion industry offered accessible opportunities for realising a new life, particularly if they were prepared to work hard, innovate and adapt. In addition, it was often easy to operate in the rag trade where language barriers were less acute.
Hibodress PTY LTD (an abbreviation of two names, Hirschman and Bochner) was located at 85 Forbes Street, Woolloomooloo. They employed 90 people and after 22 years, they sold the business.
After surviving the horrors of Auschwitz and death march to Bergen-Belsen, Olga immigrated to Australia with her husband John Horak in 1949. Two weeks after their arrival, Hibodress was established, manufacturing women’s blouses and wholesaling to department stores across Australia.
John – a qualified textile engineer from the Czech Republic – worked alongside Olga who, despite no formal training, had an innate eye for fashion resulting in a bold line of wash-and-wear blouses. For many post-war Jewish immigrants, the fashion industry offered accessible opportunities for realising a new life, particularly if they were prepared to work hard, innovate and adapt. In addition, it was often easy to operate in the rag trade where language barriers were less acute.
Hibodress PTY LTD (an abbreviation of two names, Hirschman and Bochner) was located at 85 Forbes Street, Woolloomooloo. They employed 90 people and after 22 years, they sold the business.
Production periodpost World War II
Object namephotographs
Materialpaper
Techniquephotography
Dimensions
- photograph height: 208.00 mm
width: 156.00 mm
Language
- English
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Grace Wiggins