Museum prints are in full bloom at Oasis

Floral dresses from the world-class collection at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Fashion Museum have inspired a major fashion retailer to introduce a beautiful new range of dresses this summer.

 

The Fashion Museum, at the Assembly Rooms, Bath, worked with Oasis last autumn to select five floral print dresses from the museum collection, which they used as inspiration for their new range of Floral Frocks. This fashion range was showcased in Oasis’s flagship stores from early May, and has been such a success that it is now being rolled out to over 200 of their stores nationwide.

 

The designers at Oasis selected these five dresses from all the historic printed floral frocks in the Fashion Museum’s collection. The chosen five included a tiny bias-cut printed silk evening dress from the 1930s with a dark ground scattered big exotic blooms, which must originally have belonged to very slender woman.  There was also a youthful pink poppy print from the early 1960s, made up into a summer day dress with little bows at the shoulders, as well as a crisp cotton long evening dress with a print of yellow irises from the mid 1950s.

 

Leslie Reynolds, Head of Buying, Oasis, said: "Summer 2008 looks are set to be a flowery affair and our Floral Frocks range bursts with stunning colours creating enduring summer styles. Each of the floral collection has a name- Lily Lane, Poppy Parker Jones, Rose Riley, Violet Valentine- and a personality that conveys bold feelings, charm, sophistication and optimism.”

 

Now for the first time, visitors to the Fashion Museum have the chance to see three of the original floral frocks from the museum collection alongside the three Oasis floral frocks for spring / summer 08, which they have inspired. Dresses Lily Lane, Poppy Parker Jones and Rose Riley can be seen alongside their historic counterparts in a special display at the Fashion Museum which opens on 2 June 2008.

 

Rosemary Harden, Manager of the Fashion Museum said: “We were delighted when Oasis contacted us to work with them on their Floral Frock range. The Fashion Museum collection is one of the world’s great museums of fashionable dress, and it is fantastic to think that historic objects in the collection are being re-interpreted for fashions which will be worn by so many women today. Wouldn’t it be great if all the women who bought Oasis floral frocks came to Bath to see the inspiration for their dresses on display in the museum!”

 

The dresses will be on display throughout summer 2008.

 

Visit the website to find out more about the Fashion Museum at http://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/  and the Oasis collection at http://www.oasis-stores.com/

 

ENDS

 

Notes to editors:
Attached picture: Poppy print dress which inspired the Oasis Poppy Parker Jones dress.

 

FLORAL FROCK details:
A strapless summer frock with a sweetheart neckline in crisp cotton, Lily Lane flaunts a bold yellow and green lily print. Layers of tulle create a full underskirt and the bodice top is gathered around the waist showing off a simple ruche detail.

 

Poppy Parker Jones is a charming day dress that embraces volume and shape and is belted at the waist and printed with bold cardinal red poppies scattered across a background of pure white cotton. It embodies the spirit of the 1960s and is a stylish modern interpretation.

 

A striking tulip dress, Rose Riley takes its inspiration from a vintage 'gown of distinction'. A lush print in rich cerise pink blossoms all over the crisp cotton fabric and a pretty oversized bow sits on a nipped in waist.

 

Violet Valentine captures the feel of 1950s daywear in all its glory. A delightful strappy sundress, its adorned with sweet violets in all their sugared shades alongside a border of soft floral prints. Gathered at the waist with a matching tie belt the full pleated skirt falls just below the knee and worn with layers of petticoats it creates an exaggerated hourglass figure.

 

Further floral frocks from the Fashion Museum collection can be seen in the lavishly illustrated book, Floral Frocks, written by Fashion Museum Manager, Rosemary Harden and Jo Turney from Bath Spa University. Floral Frocks is available on sale at the Fashion Museum bookstore.