DAY 3, DAY 13 AND DAY 28
MOWA – Museum of Wearable Art
- 3 May 2026
Found a Gem Hidden in Tasmania
Some moments in life are overwhelming on the senses and this was one of them, as though the door to a parallel universe had opened. This adventure was one on those moments and one line of a blog post wasn’t going to cut it.
So sit back while I share a story of a place off the beaten track that truely needs to be seen and experienced to understand the magnitude of the collection and the determination of the woman behind it.
I’ll let Rossy explain the reason behind her choice of business name – you’ll notice it was a total surprise to me…….there were a few such moments.
Stories and Dress Ups
This is one energetic lady with many many stories to tell. The Museum is a substantial stand alone shed with kitchen, lounge and entertaining area. At every turn there is a garment of note, a purchase or gift from a famous designer, newspaper clippings and posters of historical significance.
In every direction I was amazed by the volume and variety of garments on display and equally the volume of projects to be tackled. Mind boggling that Rossy had installed and curated this display in less than 6 years – one has to wonder…..where was it stored before this.
The Bone Yard
When I first saw this pile (in the house – adjacent to Rossy’s studio and gallery – not to be confused by the Museum) I thought surely there had to at least be one complete mannequin in there, somewhere. Think jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing.
But alas I was foiled. Even matching mannequin stands would seem a simple enough task but NO. This was like a room of mirrors and at times the duplicates had me wondering if the mannequins were relocating themselves. So annoying that left and right arms and hands were not interchangeable LOL.
Hiding the Bodies
I found myself in Huonville the following week after visiting the local primary school and couldn’t resist dropping in to see Rossy again. We shared tea and cake and then we explored some unseen areas of the Museum. What an amazing woman. What a crazy universe I had entered.
Definitely not on the Hadley’s Art Prize radar and as they had no required outcome I was happy to let the journey take me where it would.
All the mannequins and their various garments sit on low staging and wow does that stage flooring hide some body parts. We loaded them all into my car and relocated them to the bone yard in the main house – at least we had most of the puzzle pieces in one place – Rossy I take my hat off to you – but remember I know where the bodies are buried LOL.
No Medic Required
The day was hectic and I can’t say I’ve ever moved as many body parts as I did today. The bulk of the spare mannequins at the museum are now in one place and I’m heading back to my apartment with a collection of mannequins and parts to see which ones will work best for the garments I’m yet to assemble and two yet to finish.
It was after dark by the time I returned to The Old WoolStore Apartment. I parked outside the main door and started man handling the mannequins and body parts into the foyer ready to load the lift. Sometimes it’s easier and safer to carry mannequins so as not to damage them and if loaded on top of one another they tend to create a life force of their own and slide around everywhere.
It was my third trip when I realised I really needed a luggage trolley for the many bases and arms. The usual friendly smiles from reception and I was once again on my way.
By the last load, a crowd of concerned hotel guests had gathered around the lift to assist the mannequin who was face down on the floor – the one wearing clothes.
We all shared a laugh when the guests confirmed it was a mannequin and not a hotel guest who had fainted. Perhaps the absence of arms gave it away. Ever tried putting a mannequin into the recovery position.
Dinner Party - The Last Supper
With the girls in town for only a few nights the only opportunity for us to visit MOWA was the evening before exhibition opening. It was going to be an all nighter of sewing anyway and how can you pass up a dinner party when the table looks so impressive.
We were terribly late because exhibition install took way longer than expected and still not finished before we hot tailed it to Huonville.
Icing on the Cake
The table was fittingly set for a banquet – what a fabulous night we had.
Much fun sharing the after dark tour of the museum. You can’t buy experiences like this.
The late night drive winding back to Hobart was peppered with mist and low cloud. I popped the kettle on and readied the sewing machine for one last push to the finishing line.
Rearranged the apartment furniture to try and support the huge drops of fabric. 2 panels each 6 x 19 tiles only just squeezed into the living room. Frightening to see how much work was still incomplete this late in the adventure.
