Gwendoline Gillam
Biography
GWEN GILLAM (1913-2001)
Gwen Gillam was one of Queensland’s leading dress designers of the 20th century, reaching the peak of her career in the 1950s-1970s. Not only a skilled designer, she offered her clients a ‘whole look’, which included elegant accessories imported especially by her salon.
Note: Gwen would like to be remembered as a designer of the 1950s-1970s. She insists that she was only beginning her career in the 1940s, even though she had a Queen St address (J.M. June 1991)
Biography compiled from interview with Judith McKay, 10 January, 1991:
Born in Warwick, the daughter of Alfred Walter Gilliam, a grocer of English descent, and his wife Rachael Isabel, nee McGowan. Gwen moved to Brisbane in childhood. Gwen’s mother sewed well and Gwen used to watch her sewing and began dressing her own dolls. Her father died when she was young and the family went through hard times.
Gwen started work at the age of l3, as an apprentice to Evelyn Dixon who, in turn, had learnt the trade from May Hair (later married to the chemist Rutter) who had a well-known salon in Adelaide Street, Brisbane in her time. Gwen also had helpful advice from an aunt, Mabel Gillam, who was a private dressmaker.
By 1936 Gwen started on her own on the 4th floor of the CML Building, 289 Queen Street, and remained there till c.1942. Evelyn Dixon followed to work with Gwen. She started with only one room and a treadle machine, next door to a well established dressmaker who soon moved out when she found some of her clients going to Gwen instead. Gwen then expanded into her competitor’s rooms and later into Dr Kilpatrick’s rooms when he moved, so creating a substantial suite which was decorated by Gwen herself. She worked long hours establishing a circle of clients who were to remain throughout her career.
By 1944 Gwen moved to a salon in the Brisbane Arcade; later had another salon at the Metro, Albert Street for ten years. The architect David Bell designed the interior of the Brisbane Arcade salon which she kept for twenty-five years – even after opening her best known salon in the Grand Central Arcade in c.1953. She kept the latter for twenty years. Its interior was designed by the architect David Frost of the firm of Conrad and Gargett, and included a spectacular chandelier. The Queensland Museum has some of the dummies from this salon and copies of photographs taken just before the closure in 1973. Gwen maintained her business from her Paddington home for some years afterwards.
In c.1951 at the age of 38 Gwen married John Cornelius Potts, a jeweller, who predeased her by some time. She used her married name privately but retained her maiden name for her buiness activities. The couple had no children, though Mr Potts had children from a previous marriage.
In her heyday Gwen Gillam employed sixteen staff, but she always did all the designing and cutting herself. Her sister Thel managed the shop while Gwen took charge of the workroom. In the 1960s she employed an Italian tailor in her workroom. Gwen prided herself on being able to do the best for her clients and sold a range of imported accessories – such as shoes, beaded caps and bags, and jewellery (especially pearls) - to create a ‘whole look’. She and her husband saw the possibilities of imported workmanship on a visit to Hong Kong in the 1950s; henceforth she sent garments and designs to the Silver House factory, Hong Kong, for beading. For a short time she also had shoes especially made in Hong Kong.
Gwen’s well-heeled clients included:
Mrs Gertrude (Trudy) Annand (the Queensland Museum has two of her evening dresses H.22191, H 22192)
Lady Thiess and her daughters Thelma and Margaret
Queensland Governors’ wives – Lady Abel Smith, Lady Ramsay and Lady Hannah
Mrs Olive Kratzmann.
In 199l Gwen Gillam donated a large collection of her own outfits to the Queensland Museum and some of these were shown in a foyer display titled ‘The Art of Dress’ (the Museum has photos of Gwen with the display). The Museum holds other Gwen Gillam garments as well as a book of fashion drawings used by her, ‘Exclusive American Styles’, dated March 1951. She also used fashion magazines as a source of inspiration, particularly ‘L’Officiel’.
At 1998 Gwen was also represented in the Museum of the Rockhampton Historical Society, garments collected from a Central Qld client.
At the end of her life Gwen lived at ‘Rockingham’, 55 Garfield Drive, Paddington, which was sold in September 2001.
Gwen Gillam was one of Queensland’s leading dress designers of the 20th century, reaching the peak of her career in the 1950s-1970s. Not only a skilled designer, she offered her clients a ‘whole look’, which included elegant accessories imported especially by her salon.
Note: Gwen would like to be remembered as a designer of the 1950s-1970s. She insists that she was only beginning her career in the 1940s, even though she had a Queen St address (J.M. June 1991)
Biography compiled from interview with Judith McKay, 10 January, 1991:
Born in Warwick, the daughter of Alfred Walter Gilliam, a grocer of English descent, and his wife Rachael Isabel, nee McGowan. Gwen moved to Brisbane in childhood. Gwen’s mother sewed well and Gwen used to watch her sewing and began dressing her own dolls. Her father died when she was young and the family went through hard times.
Gwen started work at the age of l3, as an apprentice to Evelyn Dixon who, in turn, had learnt the trade from May Hair (later married to the chemist Rutter) who had a well-known salon in Adelaide Street, Brisbane in her time. Gwen also had helpful advice from an aunt, Mabel Gillam, who was a private dressmaker.
By 1936 Gwen started on her own on the 4th floor of the CML Building, 289 Queen Street, and remained there till c.1942. Evelyn Dixon followed to work with Gwen. She started with only one room and a treadle machine, next door to a well established dressmaker who soon moved out when she found some of her clients going to Gwen instead. Gwen then expanded into her competitor’s rooms and later into Dr Kilpatrick’s rooms when he moved, so creating a substantial suite which was decorated by Gwen herself. She worked long hours establishing a circle of clients who were to remain throughout her career.
By 1944 Gwen moved to a salon in the Brisbane Arcade; later had another salon at the Metro, Albert Street for ten years. The architect David Bell designed the interior of the Brisbane Arcade salon which she kept for twenty-five years – even after opening her best known salon in the Grand Central Arcade in c.1953. She kept the latter for twenty years. Its interior was designed by the architect David Frost of the firm of Conrad and Gargett, and included a spectacular chandelier. The Queensland Museum has some of the dummies from this salon and copies of photographs taken just before the closure in 1973. Gwen maintained her business from her Paddington home for some years afterwards.
In c.1951 at the age of 38 Gwen married John Cornelius Potts, a jeweller, who predeased her by some time. She used her married name privately but retained her maiden name for her buiness activities. The couple had no children, though Mr Potts had children from a previous marriage.
In her heyday Gwen Gillam employed sixteen staff, but she always did all the designing and cutting herself. Her sister Thel managed the shop while Gwen took charge of the workroom. In the 1960s she employed an Italian tailor in her workroom. Gwen prided herself on being able to do the best for her clients and sold a range of imported accessories – such as shoes, beaded caps and bags, and jewellery (especially pearls) - to create a ‘whole look’. She and her husband saw the possibilities of imported workmanship on a visit to Hong Kong in the 1950s; henceforth she sent garments and designs to the Silver House factory, Hong Kong, for beading. For a short time she also had shoes especially made in Hong Kong.
Gwen’s well-heeled clients included:
Mrs Gertrude (Trudy) Annand (the Queensland Museum has two of her evening dresses H.22191, H 22192)
Lady Thiess and her daughters Thelma and Margaret
Queensland Governors’ wives – Lady Abel Smith, Lady Ramsay and Lady Hannah
Mrs Olive Kratzmann.
In 199l Gwen Gillam donated a large collection of her own outfits to the Queensland Museum and some of these were shown in a foyer display titled ‘The Art of Dress’ (the Museum has photos of Gwen with the display). The Museum holds other Gwen Gillam garments as well as a book of fashion drawings used by her, ‘Exclusive American Styles’, dated March 1951. She also used fashion magazines as a source of inspiration, particularly ‘L’Officiel’.
At 1998 Gwen was also represented in the Museum of the Rockhampton Historical Society, garments collected from a Central Qld client.
At the end of her life Gwen lived at ‘Rockingham’, 55 Garfield Drive, Paddington, which was sold in September 2001.
Died/Ceased
d.2001
Place of Death
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia