Italian migrants have been one of the outstanding contributors to Australian fashion over the years. Carlton dressmaker Gina Basso is one of the most iconic and has now been a mainstay in the Melbourne fashion industry for over 60 years.
Since skilled Italian designers brought their talent to Australia, traditional Italian craftsmanship has contributed to creating fashionable clothing and accessories for decades. With talented professionals ranging from tailors and shoemakers to dressmakers and designers, many migrants have been working hard within the manufacturing industry since last century.
64 years ago Gina Basso left her family in Northern Italy and moved to Melbourne to join Giacomo, her husband - by proxy, after they had wed by while apart on opposite sides of the world.
"It will be 64 years now that I’m here,” Basso tells SBS Italian.
"There was nothing here: no cars, just horses carrying milk, ice, bread."
They set up their shop and their home in Carlton, where they worked side-by-side until Giacomo passed away last year.
"I think I learnt a lot from my husband," says Basso.
"This is why I also have so many men’s tailoring jobs."
"Dressmakers don’t know how to do these jobs if they haven’t learned to make men’s suits."
Below: Gina Basso at work in her shop in Carlton.
Expertise, patience and attention to detail have been the main ingredients of Basso's clothes since 1953, but as the fashion world has evolved, not everyone appreciates her special skills.
“We used to make everything by hand in those days, we didn’t have machines," she says. "Then when the factories opened up, we started losing our jobs."
"People started buying more ready-made clothes because it was cheaper. They did not appreciate our handmade work anymore."
"When you buy cheap you can easily throw it away and buy more [but] it’s a real satisfaction when people tell you that you have done a good job."
"You know, when you buy cheap you can easily throw it away and buy more."
Luckily though, Basso is based in the style capital of Australia, where many Melbourne fashionistas are happy to spend a little extra to see a job well done.
"It’s a real satisfaction when people tell you that you have done a good job," she says.
"When I'm working, I'm not thinking of money. I just make the job nice and if the job comes nice the money comes after."
Video by Francesca Rizzoli
Earlier this year, as part of the 22nd edition of the , joined the celebration. with the exhibition"A trade in hand finds gold in every land" - Italian migrants for Australian fashion.
Below is a look at some of the historical photographs and objects that were on display, highlighting the contribution of Italian migrants to Australian style:
