Lady in Red

The 1970s was a decade that was defined by the counterculture movements. The antiwar movement was in full swing with 100,000 hippies marching down Bourke Street in protest of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war and bringing with them new fashion like paisley prints, kaftans and loose free flowing dresses. At the same time the feminist movement was growing and feminist icons of the time like Kate Bush and Melbourne’s own Helen Reddy of I Am Woman fame became style icons for many. We’ve chosen this image from the National Archives of Australia’s womenswear collection as a prime example of 1970s fashion as the woman in the frame sports red chiffon ala Kate Bush, loose curls and an attitude that suggests she’s in control of the frame. The men by contrast are dressed in standard suits, their relaxed sweeping hairstyles and oversized bowties are the only things that demark them as being of the 70s era.