Paula Stafford

Paula Stafford (born 10 June 1920) is an Australian fashion designer credited with introducing the bikini to Australia.[1][2] Graeme Potter, director of Queensland Museum South Bank, called her "Australia's original bikini designer".[3][4]

Life

Stafford was born in Melbourne in 1920.[1][2] After school she studied dress design at Emily McPherson School of Domestic Economy, a part of Melbourne Technical College. She now lives in Gold Coast.[5] In 2010, her autobiography Bikini: the Paula Stafford story was published, co-written with Ali McGovern.[1]

Fashion

The bikini is generally credited to Louis Reard in 1946, but two-piece swimming costumes had existed before then. Stafford had been making them for herself since the 1930s, but only gradually turned this into a business.[1][6] In the 1940s, wartime shortages led to a desire to save fabric, which led to costumes becoming more skimpy.[2] When somebody saw her self-made costume on the beach in Gold Coast and asked to buy one, she began selling them.[2] Her styles became popular in Gold Coast and in Melbourne. She began manufacturing operations with a machinist working in her attic, but later built a factory, and opened a shop, called the Tog Shop, and also sold mail-order. The firm also expanded into leisurewear for men and women.[5] She sold her clothes to stores including British retailers Selfridges and Liberty of London, and in Australia Myers, Georges, Buckleys and David Jones. She also founded a modelling agency and a hotel.[2]

In a famous incident in 1952, model Ann Ferguson was asked to leave a beach in Surfers Paradise because her outfit was too revealing; she was wearing a Paula Stafford bikini.[5][7]

Her work is on display at the Gold Coast Historical Society museum in Bundall, Queensland.[2] It was also displayed in an exhibition of swimwear at the Queensland Museum South Bank in 2010.[3] She was awarded Gold Coast City Council's "Legend Award" in 2012.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Greg Stolz, "Bikini queen Paula Stafford turns 90 ", Courier-Mail, June 10, 2010
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sara Hicks, "The mother of all cheeky bikinis", ABC Gold Coast, May 23, 2008
  3. 1 2 Katherine Feeney, "Nothing teeny or weeny about this bikini... exhibition", Brisbane Times, May 28, 2010
  4. ↑ Stolz, Greg (10 June 2010). "Bikini queen Paula Stafford turns 90". News Corp Australia. The Courier Mail.
  5. 1 2 3 Janet Campbell, "Paula Stafford (b 1920)", Brisbane Modern magazine, Issue 3
  6. 1 2 "'Legend' honour for Aussie bikini pioneer", ABC News (Australia), January 20, 2012
  7. ↑ "Bikini Cops" (Transcript), ABC (Australia), September 6, 2004
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