Julia Scammell, Hollywood to Hawick: A celebration of old Hollywood and a love of fashion and glamour.
A new exhibition which showcases Hollywood glamour and local fashion history opens at the Borders Textile Towerhouse on 15th February.
Artist Julia Scammell's exhibition, 'Hollywood to Hawick', showcases her fabulous paintings and displays outfits from Hawick Museum's collection, many of which will be on public display for the first time. The exhibition also features some of the artist’s mother’s own dresses from the early 1950s.
Growing up watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films with her mum on Saturday afternoons, Julia Scammell was captivated by the glamorous dresses, music and dancing and she soon developed a lifelong love of both Hollywood and fashion. Drawing inspiration from illustrators like René Gruau and local artist Alastair Michie, who created artwork for the Hawick mills in their heyday, Julia’s work evokes the fashions and glamour of the time.
The exhibition also features some of the artist’s mother’s dresses from the early 1950s, which are very much in the style of Christian Dior’s New Look. This style, with its full skirts and cinched waists, was both controversial and celebrated for emphasising women’s shapes. There is also an evening suit on display which belonged to Pringle Director Willie Mactaggart at the same period.
The collection, which spans more than 100 years, includes a range of garments with fascinating histories. One Victorian dress, notable for its striking design, represents the oldest piece in the collection. Meanwhile, a 1920s flapper style dress recalls the story of a young Hawick woman who had to transport the clothing to dances in a bag and change once there, due to her father's disapproval.
Many of the garments were produced in Borders mills, these include cashmere knitwear and a jacquard suit created at Pringle of Scotland for an office worker in the 1950s. A 1960s tweed coat made at Scoon & Hood for James Scoon’s daughter is on display, alongside fashion drawings for Braemar Knitwear by Alastair Michie. The exhibition also features items from London fashion house W & O Marcus Ltd, which operated a branch factory in Hawick from 1940 to 1963, producing tailored ladieswear.
Visitors are invited to come and enjoy the exhibition and take a nostalgic journey back to a time when casual wear was unheard of!
The exhibition is dedicated to Julia’s mother, Grace, who instilled in her a deep love for the arts.
All proceeds from any artwork sales will be donated to Hawick’s Artbeat charity, an organisation that has given the artist invaluable support and encouragement.
The 'Hollywood to Hawick' exhibition will run from February 15 to May 12, 2025.
February and March opening times are Monday, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, and closed on Tuesday and Sunday.
From April up to its conclusion in May, the exhibition will be open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, and closed on Sunday.
Admission free – donations welcome.
Borders Textile Towerhouse, 1 Tower Knowe, Hawick, TD9 9EN
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