Data

Prue Acton Collection

RMIT University, Australia
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ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2FANDS&rft_id=https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-locations-and-facilities/facilities/research-facilities/rmit-design-archives&rft.title=Prue Acton Collection&rft.publisher=RMIT University, Australia&rft.description=This extensive collection is held in 238 boxes. There is a detailed inventory available. The material is grouped into collections by year, and by type. For example, Box 125 holds material relating to the State Bank of Victoria uniforms; Box 131 holds documents relating to Prue Acton’s Melbourne Cup outfits 1981-1991; Boxes 140 to 156 contain folders of photographs featuring Prue Acton, Prue Acton fashions, cosmetic ranges, promotions and shop window display. Boxes 176 and 177 hold Prue Acton’s student work from RMIT, Box 236 holds Uniform designs for the Los Angeles Olympics (1984), and World Expo (1988). Box 227 holds the Australian Olympic Uniforms for the Seoul (1988). Drawings for collections are held in Box 192.  Prue Acton’s scrapbooks are held in boxes 182-189.   Prue Acton, OBE, born 26 April 1943, in Benalla, is an Australian fashion designer who rose to prominence in the 1960s and was often referred to as Australia's golden girl of fashion.” In 1962, she completed a Diploma of Art majoring in Textiles at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (now RMIT University). In 1963 she established her fashion design business in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, focussing on clothing for young women and teenagers. By the age of 21 she was producing over 350 designs a year and selling an average of 1,000 fashion-forward dresses a week through 80 outlets in Australia and New Zealand.   In 1966 Acton signed the first Australian and United States of America design license with Arkay Inc. New York supplying Lord & Taylor and other department stores. In 1967 Lord & Taylor showcased her garments in five of their Fifth Avenue windows and took out full page advertisements in the New York daily press, headlined with the words “Lord & Taylor love Prue Acton.” In 1969 she expanded her brand with the launch of a range of cosmetics; and her collections eventually encompassed accessories, knitwear, lingerie, sleepwear, outerwear and shoes. By 1982 her designs were sold in Australia, Japan, United States, Canada and New Zealand and made under licence in America, Japan, and Germany.   Acton designed the Australian Olympic uniforms for the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid 1980), and Sarajevo (1986); the Summer Olympics in Montreal (1976), Los Angeles (1984), and in Seoul (1988). Over her career she received numerous awards, including three international awards for Olympic opening ceremony uniforms; five Australian Wool Board Awards, three David Jones Awards for Fashion Excellence and four Fashion Industry of Australia Lyrebird Awards, as well as receiving an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1982.  In 2007 Acton received an honorary doctorate from RMIT University.   After closing her business in the early 1990s, Prue Action now works as a professional artist. In 1994 the Prue Acton Collection was donated jointly to Museum Victoria and RMIT University. Museum Victoria acquired garments, accessories, labels, artefacts, awards, audio visual material, cosmetics, promotional material and display material.  RMIT University acquired business records, and archives, including scrap books, collection folders, research files, books, photographs and design development materials.&rft.creator=Anonymous&rft.date=2026&rft_rights=All Rights Reserved&rft_subject=Historical Studies&rft_subject=Design Practice and Methods&rft_subject=Textile and Fashion Design&rft_subject=Design History, theory and criticism&rft_subject=Advertising - Fashion&rft_subject=Department Stores&rft_subject=Prue Acton&rft_subject=Photography – Fashion&rft_subject=Australian Olympic Uniforms&rft.type=dataset&rft.language=English Access the data
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To make an appointment complete the online research request form available on the Collection Access page. Two weeks' notice of visit is recommended.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-locations-and-facilities/facilities/research-facilities/rmit-design-archives/contact-us/research-request-form

Contact Information

RMIT Design Archives; [email protected]

Full description

This extensive collection is held in 238 boxes. There is a detailed inventory available. The material is grouped into collections by year, and by type. For example, Box 125 holds material relating to the State Bank of Victoria uniforms; Box 131 holds documents relating to Prue Acton’s Melbourne Cup outfits 1981-1991; Boxes 140 to 156 contain folders of photographs featuring Prue Acton, Prue Acton fashions, cosmetic ranges, promotions and shop window display. Boxes 176 and 177 hold Prue Acton’s student work from RMIT, Box 236 holds Uniform designs for the Los Angeles Olympics (1984), and World Expo (1988). Box 227 holds the Australian Olympic Uniforms for the Seoul (1988). Drawings for collections are held in Box 192.  Prue Acton’s scrapbooks are held in boxes 182-189.  

Prue Acton, OBE, born 26 April 1943, in Benalla, is an Australian fashion designer who rose to prominence in the 1960s and was often referred to as "Australia's golden girl of fashion.” In 1962, she completed a Diploma of Art majoring in Textiles at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (now RMIT University). In 1963 she established her fashion design business in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, focussing on clothing for young women and teenagers. By the age of 21 she was producing over 350 designs a year and selling an average of 1,000 fashion-forward dresses a week through 80 outlets in Australia and New Zealand.
 
In 1966 Acton signed the first Australian and United States of America design license with Arkay Inc. New York supplying Lord & Taylor and other department stores. In 1967 Lord & Taylor showcased her garments in five of their Fifth Avenue windows and took out full page advertisements in the New York daily press, headlined with the words “Lord & Taylor love Prue Acton.” In 1969 she expanded her brand with the launch of a range of cosmetics; and her collections eventually encompassed accessories, knitwear, lingerie, sleepwear, outerwear and shoes. By 1982 her designs were sold in Australia, Japan, United States, Canada and New Zealand and made under licence in America, Japan, and Germany.
 
Acton designed the Australian Olympic uniforms for the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid 1980), and Sarajevo (1986); the Summer Olympics in Montreal (1976), Los Angeles (1984), and in Seoul (1988). Over her career she received numerous awards, including three international awards for Olympic opening ceremony uniforms; five Australian Wool Board Awards, three David Jones Awards for Fashion Excellence and four Fashion Industry of Australia Lyrebird Awards, as well as receiving an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1982.  In 2007 Acton received an honorary doctorate from RMIT University.
 
After closing her business in the early 1990s, Prue Action now works as a professional artist. In 1994 the Prue Acton Collection was donated jointly to Museum Victoria and RMIT University. Museum Victoria acquired garments, accessories, labels, artefacts, awards, audio visual material, cosmetics, promotional material and display material.  RMIT University acquired business records, and archives, including scrap books, collection folders, research files, books, photographs and design development materials.

Data time period: 1962 to 1993

Subjects
Advertising - Fashion | Australian Olympic Uniforms | Department Stores | Design History, theory and criticism | Design Practice and Methods | Historical Studies | Photography – Fashion | Prue Acton | Textile and Fashion Design |

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Other Information
Prue Acton, Fashion Designer (1943-), Museum of Victoria

uri : https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2377

Parade: The story of fashion in Australia, by Alexandra Joel, (Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1998, 2nd edition)

uri : https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/9206376

Sarah Teasley and Harriet Edquist: Exporting Australian Fashion to Japan, RMIT Design Archives Journal Vol. 12 No. 2, 2022: Australian Designers in Japan

uri : https://www.rmit.edu.au/library/borrowing-and-collections/rmit-design-archives/journal

In Vogue: 50 Years of Australian Style, edited by Kirstie Clements and Lee Tulloch, (Pymble, NSW: HarperCollins 2009.)

uri : https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35272531

Prue Acton : racing ahead : Melbourne Cup outfits 1979-1991, RMIT Gallery, Museum of Victoria., & RMIT University, (RMIT Dept. of Fashion & Textile Design, Faculty of Art & Design. 1996)

uri : https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/24566398

Cawthorne, Z., & Australia Post. (2005). Australia in fashion : six great designers / Zelda Cawthorne. Australia: Australian Postal Corporation

uri : https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/207476041