Collector gets time in the limelight
A Brisbane lawyer who has devoted himself to the preserving costume icons from the stage and screen has put a selection of his most treasured and valued costumes on show to the public in a new exhibition at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
Lawyer and long-time arts devotee Nicholas Inglis has dedicated 23 years of his life to being an usher at QPAC. The job, which was originally a moonlighting gig, gave Inglis an opportunity to witness hundreds of productions that have toured the centre and the chance to see their costumes up close.
Being an avid autograph collector from early in his life, Inglis started collecting costumes in 1997. He credits the internet for completely rewriting the means by which he is able to access and acquire outfits to add to his expansive collection.
“There’s enough [in his collection] for several exhibitions.” Inglis told the Star Observer.
All Dressed Up: From Broadway to Hollywood is a showcase of 36 carefully selected costumes from Inglis’ collection that has been designed to show the transition that takes place with costuming when stage productions are turned into screen classics, and vice versa.
The exhibition features 36 of Inglis’ pieces, worn by stars including gay icons Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler and even Peter Allen. His passion is the costumes and props produced by MGM, one of the classic studios of Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ during the 1930s and 40s
Despite producing its fair share of stylised films featuring detailed costumes, sourcing outfits from Australian productions has proven to be difficult for Inglis.
“There doesn’t seem to be the same culture of preservation in Australia that exists in the US, and it’s a real shame,” he said.
However, three memorable costumes from one of Australia’s most successful films, Priscilla, have made their way into his collection and will be on display during the exhibition.
“Costume is something that is on screen for a few minutes or seconds and then it’s gone. I’d love people to come through and get a deeper appreciation of the time and the craftsmanship that goes into creating costumes and have a look at them up close to appreciate the nuances and detail that you don’t really pick up on the screen,” he said.
