beirendonck

Professor Margaret Gardner AO is the Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University and Naomi Milgrom Executive Chair & CEO of Suzanne Group talking to Stephen Crafti about the upcoming Walter Van Beirendonck exhibition. Van Beirendonck's exhibition, which first opened in Antwerp, will be showcased at RMIT University's Design Hub from 15th July until the end of October.

The first major retrospective of the work of Antwerp designer and fashion maverick Walter Van Beirendonck, will be held at RMIT University's new $80 million Design Hub, thanks to the philanthropic leadership in design of Naomi Milgrom AO.

Created by Antwerp Fashion Museum, Dream the World Awake is the jewel in the crown of the Design Hub's inaugural events program for 2013, and the first time this daring and innovative exhibition has travelled outside Belgium.

RMIT University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Gardner AO, says the support of visionary philanthropic leaders such as Ms Milgrom provides remarkable opportunities for RMIT's students and staff, as well as Australia's design community that would otherwise not be possible.

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with Ms Milgrom on this significant exhibition, which comes to Melbourne in July next year and will make RMIT's Design Hub truly come alive," Professor Gardner said.

"Ms Milgrom shares our vision for developing extraordinary opportunities for the next generation of Australian designers. With this major gift, she builds upon her notable links with RMIT and continues the legacy of philanthropy that the University was founded on."

Ms Milgrom says the outstanding architecture and cultural and academic vision for the new Design Hub at RMIT inspired her to champion this major international and multifaceted design initiative for its opening.

"Dream the World Awake, which celebrates three decades of Van Beirendonck's career, is a marvellous collaborative project that will engage a diverse design audience and enhance RMIT's global design stature," Ms Milgrom said.

A maverick fashion design leader and the inspirational Head of Fashion at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Art - one of the top five fashion schools in the world, Walter Van Beirendonck is known for his spectacular Paris fashion shows and diverse sources of inspiration in his work, ranging from technology, fine art and pop culture to ethnographic sources.

RMIT's Associate Professor Robyn Healy, School of Fashion and Textiles says this high profile design exhibition highlights cross-disciplinary collaboration, a key aspect of the Design Hub philosophy. "It is a significant exhibition for RMIT, for Melbourne and for Australia, and is perfectly aligned with RMIT's cutting-edge design and fashion education and research," she said.

Naomi Milgrom is the owner of a group of companies that includes retail brands Sportsgirl, Sussan and Suzanne Grae. She is a distinguished philanthropist, business leader, and mentor to a wide range of arts and scientific organisations, and a strong advocate of contemporary art, architecture and design.