Te Papa Opens Mary-Annette Hay: Queen Of Wool

From Sheep To Chic – Te Papa Opens Mary-Annette Hay: Queen Of Wool On 21 September

Mary-Annette Hay: Queen of Wool, an exhibition exploring the career of a New Zealand trailblazer and showcasing the post-World War II fashion in wool, opens in the Eyelights Gallery on Level 4 on Friday 21 September.

The exhibition focuses on Mary-Annette Hay’s (neé Burgess) career with the New Zealand Wool Board from 1948 through to 1956, featuring the European high fashion garments that inspired her, and changed how New Zealand perceived wool - from a practical commodity to a glamorous and luxurious fabric. Visitors will see beautiful gowns by Parisian designers Pierre Balmain and Marcel Rochas along with English designer daywear by Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and Digby Morton.

Mary-Annette Burgess joined the New Zealand Wool Board as Promotions Officer in 1948 and made it her mandate to ‘take the wonder of wool to the nation’. Inspired by a wardrobe of garments by international designers in her office at the Wool Board, Mary-Annette raised the profile of wool through her innovative methods of promotion – especially the dramatised fashion production. Wool became Mary-Annette’s life and she was even quoted as saying, ‘I saw wool, I wore wool, I thought wool and only wool’.

Mary-Annette involved herself in all aspects of New Zealand’s wool industry from shearing sheds to shop windows, never passing up an opportunity to promote the virtues of wool. Her approach gained the confidence of all the players in the industry and her success was measured in the upsurge of wool product sales nationwide.

Her dramatised fashion productions, quite different to today’s catwalk fashion shows, became Mary-Annette’s signature event. Written, directed and narrated by Mary-Annette, these beautifully choreographed productions put the best of New Zealand fashion beside luxury imported European gowns – the lures which drew people to her events. While dazzling the audience with a visual feast, Mary-Annette’s various productions incorporated information about the different aspects of the history and importance of wool.

Travelling to Europe with her family in 1951, Mary-Annette continued to work, despite being on leave! Taking advantage of the New Zealand Wool Board’s connections with the International Wool Secretariat, Mary-Annette met with key industry players, was interviewed by the BBC about the New Zealand wool industry and met famous designers in London and Paris. Her reputation had preceded her as she learnt when she visited Pierre Balmain in Paris: a photo of her in one of his gowns was pinned in his salon. She arrived back in New Zealand with notebooks brimming with new ideas and ways to promote wool.

Mary-Annette’s status as a local personality was confirmed when her engagement to Donald Hay was announced. Media speculation about her choice of wedding dress grew in the months leading up to the occasion and Mary-Annette didn’t disappoint. The Wool Board allowed her to wear the only wedding dress in the collection – a stunning medieval-style gown made by the Italian fashion house Carosa of Rome – and a ‘going away’ suit by Hardy Amies. Mary-Annette warned her husband-to-be not to read the newspapers in case he discovered what she was going to wear. Both garments are in the exhibition, as well as footage from the day.

Though Mary-Annette left the New Zealand Wool Board in 1956, her talents continued to be called upon and today she is often invited to speak of her experiences. Mary-Annette had completely redefined wool promotion in New Zealand and, to some extent, internationally. Dedicated, passionate, stylish and visionary – Mary-Annette is truly ‘Wool’s Wonder Woman’.

Mary-Annette Hay: Queen of Wool is on view in Te Papa’s Eyelights Gallery on Level 4 from 21 September 2007 to September 2008. The Eyelights Gallery is dedicated to the display of New Zealand fashion and textiles post-1945, and presents an on-going programme of exhibitions exploring a broad range of themes relating from twentieth through to twenty-first century dress and textiles. Admission is free.

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