Last January 2026, I visited the latest fashion exhibition currently showing at the National Gallery of Australia, located in Canberra. As a lover of creative fashion (and heaps of colours!) I’ve gained curiosity and passion in supporting local fashion designers and learned from their creations. And that included the legendary Aussie designers Jenny Kee (Sydney) and Linda Jackson (Melbourne).
It was sometime in 2021 when I first learned about this creative duo, after watching the ABC iView documentary titled Step into Paradise, telling their stories about their beginnings in the industry, how vintage fashion styling emerged from mix-and-matching Indian with Guatemalian and African textiles together, how patchwork fashion started in London, etc while showing their younger self in their stylish clothing that every fashion girlies nowadays could die for to have.
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| Jenny Kee (@jennykeeoz) and Linda Jackson (@opallindaoz) | Screengrab from abc.net.au |
Truly, they are the pioneering influencers back in the 70’s Australia.
Bold prints, with flamingoes, tropical prints, beaches, and koalas, gave rise to the Australiana fashion.
After watching the documentary, I started to daydream of seeing their original creations and get inspirations from them that I could use for my own upcycling design projects. By then, I promised myself that one day, I would visit their (future) exhibition, and I would book a flight if I had to.
These ladies are the godmothers of Australiana fashion. And I reckon, I shouldn’t miss any opportunity I could get.
So when I learned about their fashion exhibition in the National Gallery of Australia, I was so thrilled that my husband and I decided to celebrate the beginning of 2026 in Canberra and visit their creations.
No whites, no boring neutral colours, and definitely no basic tees, 80 works by the pair, including bold hand-knitted garments, silks and scarves, have taken centre stage at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA).
Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson’s creative chemistry first sparked in the 1970s, when Jackson’s vibrant designs found a home inside Kee’s beloved Flamingo Park Frock Salon in Sydney’s Strand Arcade.
What began as a retail moment quickly blossomed into one of Australia’s most iconic fashion partnerships.
A little over a decade later, the pair amicably stepped into their own creative lanes, each carving out a distinct legacy. Jackson opened her Bush Couture Studio in Kings Cross, a treasure box of hand‑printed textiles featuring opal motifs inspired by her travels across South‑East Asia and Europe. Her work carried that unmistakable sense of wanderlust and artistic curiosity.
Kee, meanwhile, continued to steer Flamingo Park until 1995, cementing her name as shorthand for exuberant Australiana — think bold knits, vivid colours, and garments that celebrated the natural world with unapologetic joy.
Together or apart, their influence continues to ripple through Australian fashion, reminding us how powerful creativity becomes when it’s rooted in place, personality, and a touch of paradise.
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| The National Gallery of Australia has acquired the personal fashion collections of designers Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee. |
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| Proudly wearing my own creation, inspired by the Australiana fashion |
Whether you adore fashion or just love dipping into Australia’s cultural story, this exhibition feels like a joyful invitation. It offers a bright, spirited look at a creative duo who helped shape the way we see ourselves. It’s also a gentle reminder that some of the most memorable art begins right at home — in the landscapes, colours, and natural beauty that surround us every day.
‘Know My Name: Kee, Jackson and Delaunay’ show is ongoing until July 2026. Visit the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Free Admission.
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