Scotty So, Moose in a 60s Dior Feather Wig Style Hat, 2026 - Courtesy of the artist and MARS Gallery.
TITLE_NAME :
Oh This Archival Dior Hat?
14/02/2026 - 14/03/2026
MARS Gallery
7 James Street
Windsor
VIC 3181
marsgallery.com.au
MARS is delighted to present Scotty So's latest series exploring the glamour and vigour of vintage Dior reimagined through the genre of performance. Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Scotty So's cutting-edge series reinterprets the contemporary portrait through the language of archive Dior hats, released exclusively for Melbourne Fashion Festival 2026 at MARS Gallery in Windsor.
In one series, queer women are photographed wearing the hats in studio settings that reference mid-century fashion editorials. These images explore notions of elegance, poise, and performativity, engaging with the historical hierarchies and gendered expectations embedded within haute couture.
The second series positions the artist in drag, reenacting imagined scenes inspired by the Melbourne Cup. Here, the hats become instruments of spectacle, facilitating moments of intoxication, euphoria, and exaggerated performance. Glamour is recast as both playful and disruptive, highlighting the tension between tradition and contemporary queer expression.
The project is informed by So's childhood fascination with hats, which functioned as tools for concealment and self-expression. By repurposing objects once owned by upper-class women as vehicles for drag and art, the work interrogates shifting associations of class, identity, and fashion, demonstrating how historical artefacts can be transformed through personal and performative narratives.
Scotty So is a Melbourne/Narrm-based artist who works across media, including ceramic, painting, photography, sculptures, site-responsive installation, videos, and performance. Driven by the thrill of camp, he explores the often-contradictory relationship between humour and sincerity, creating a scene of para-fiction through the manipulation of found objects and existing imageries in the living experience. Born and raised in Hong Kong, So's work has been shown in Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Europe, including the National Gallery of Victoria.
14/02/2026 - 14/03/2026
MARS Gallery
7 James Street
Windsor
VIC 3181
marsgallery.com.au
MARS is delighted to present Scotty So's latest series exploring the glamour and vigour of vintage Dior reimagined through the genre of performance. Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Scotty So's cutting-edge series reinterprets the contemporary portrait through the language of archive Dior hats, released exclusively for Melbourne Fashion Festival 2026 at MARS Gallery in Windsor.
In one series, queer women are photographed wearing the hats in studio settings that reference mid-century fashion editorials. These images explore notions of elegance, poise, and performativity, engaging with the historical hierarchies and gendered expectations embedded within haute couture.
The second series positions the artist in drag, reenacting imagined scenes inspired by the Melbourne Cup. Here, the hats become instruments of spectacle, facilitating moments of intoxication, euphoria, and exaggerated performance. Glamour is recast as both playful and disruptive, highlighting the tension between tradition and contemporary queer expression.
The project is informed by So's childhood fascination with hats, which functioned as tools for concealment and self-expression. By repurposing objects once owned by upper-class women as vehicles for drag and art, the work interrogates shifting associations of class, identity, and fashion, demonstrating how historical artefacts can be transformed through personal and performative narratives.
Scotty So is a Melbourne/Narrm-based artist who works across media, including ceramic, painting, photography, sculptures, site-responsive installation, videos, and performance. Driven by the thrill of camp, he explores the often-contradictory relationship between humour and sincerity, creating a scene of para-fiction through the manipulation of found objects and existing imageries in the living experience. Born and raised in Hong Kong, So's work has been shown in Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Europe, including the National Gallery of Victoria.