Hibodress silk blouse
Object numberM2017/023:007
TitleHibodress silk blouse
CreatorHibodress
DescriptionThis is an original green silk long-sleeved Hibodress blouse designed by Olga Horak and manufactured at Hibodress PTY LTD Sydney.
This green silk blouse belonged to Mary Portelli (a Maltese migrant arriving in Australia in 1952), a cleaver employed by Olga and John Horak at Hibodress Blouses PTY LTD.
It is one of two (M2017/023:006) known original Hibodress Blouses in the collection.
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.
Like associated items M2017/023:001 /:002 /:003 /: 004 and: 005, this is an example of the types of items manufactured by survivors who immigrated to Australia and established their lives and careers after the war.
This green silk blouse belonged to Mary Portelli (a Maltese migrant arriving in Australia in 1952), a cleaver employed by Olga and John Horak at Hibodress Blouses PTY LTD.
It is one of two (M2017/023:006) known original Hibodress Blouses in the collection.
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.
Like associated items M2017/023:001 /:002 /:003 /: 004 and: 005, this is an example of the types of items manufactured by survivors who immigrated to Australia and established their lives and careers after the war.
Production periodpost-World War II
Object nameshirts
Materialsilk
Techniquewoven
Dimensions
- blouse height: 565.00 mm
height: 525.00 mm
length: 540.00 mm
length: 510.00 mm
button diameter: 13.00 mm
Language
- English
English
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Grace Wiggins