Babs Radon - The Elegant Moment gives Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery visitors a glimpse of the timeless glamour of an iconic New Zealand fashion label. From the late 1950s designer Barbara Herrick's label Babs Radon provided effortless style to New Zealand women, bringing international glamour to our fashion scene long before the big names of contemporary fashion. Babs Radon - The Elegant Moment gives Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery visitors a glimpse of the timeless glamour of an iconic New Zealand fashion label. From the late 1950s designer Barbara Herrick's label Babs Radon provided effortless style to New Zealand women, bringing international glamour to our fashion scene long before the big names of contemporary fashion.Throughout her career Barbara stayed true to her desire to make "beautiful clothes for women to feel good in".

Her design philosophy of restrained elegance and impeccable line, combined with the highest quality fabrics and detailing, placed her among a small group of New Zealand's fashion elite.

Regularly appearing in New Zealand Vogue and the recipient of some of the industries most prestigious awards, Babs Radon garments have stood the test of time. They reappear now with style and sophistication which belies their decades in storage.

The relationship between Barbara Herrick and the Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery has developed over a number of years: the first Babs Radon garment came into the collection in the early 1980s and following this in the late 1990s a more concentrated selection of garments took position at the centre of the institutions significant collection of mid 20th century New Zealand fashion.

Babs Radon - The Elegant Moment reveals some of the glamorous history of local fashion, profiling a designer who challenges the myth that New Zealand fashion is a 21st century creation.

Babs Radon founder and designer Barbara Herrick will attend the opening of this exhibition along with curator Lucy Hammonds.

Babs Radon - The Elegant Moment

26 September 2008 - 22 February 2009
Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery
65 Marine Parade/9 Herschell Street
Napier
New Zealand

18/09/08