Frances Burke

This influential textile designer wove an unmistakable Australian narrative into her work, writes Chris Pearson.

- Chris Pearson

Design graduate Frances Burke often had her clothes custom-made, common at a time when imported goods were expensive and scarce. In 1937, during a fitting at Georges department store in Melbourne, a staff member lamented the lack of fashion prints from local suppliers. Enterprising Frances, who’d studied at The Melbourne Technical College, National Gallery of Victoria and George Bell school, decided to visit the store’s fashion coordinator, Pierre Fornari, and present her sketchbook. Impressed with her pattern designs, especially those inspired by Aboriginal and Pacific Islander art, Pierre ordered a selection of fabrics for resortwear.

To meet demand, Frances set up Burway Prints with fellow graduate Morris Holloway that year. The move proved timely as word soon reached Georges’ rival, Myer Emporium, which requested their textiles for its premium furniture range and decorating service. Believing the home-fabric market to be more reliable than fashion, Frances obliged.