The Flamingo Park and Beyond exhibition at Bendigo Visitor Centre shows off the work of Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson, who helped carve out Australia’s own identity in fashion when they opened their salon Flamingo Park in Sydney in the mid-1970s.

The vibrant, colourful pieces to be seen in the free exhibition were curated specially for the Bendigo event from the women’s personal archives, spanning their careers from Flamingo Park to the present day.

Given the relatively small space, Ms Jackson said she and Ms Kee had to be particular in selecting the pieces and as such, they were some of their personal favourites.

“They’ve all got stories,” Ms Jackson said of the designs.

She said she and Ms Kee were inspired by the Australian landscape and art when making their creations, and while their look was different from the European fashions Australians had been used to when they hit the scene, “people loved it”.

City of Greater Bendigo tourism manager Kathryn Mackenzie said the exhibition came at an opportune time as it ran concurrently with the Toni Maticevski exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery, the two combined telling the story of Australian fashion design’s evolution.

“Bendigo has really come to love textiles and fashion as art,” Ms Mackenzie said.

She said Ms Jackson and Ms Kee were “trailblazers” whose art and designs had endured through the decades.

Ms Jackson said she hoped the exhibition would inspire the next generation of Australian designers and artists.

“It’s just fantastic, it looks beautiful in this space… It’s great to be involved in the community like this,” she said.

She also has a personal connection to Bendigo, with her mother still living here.

Ms Jackson will also hold a textile printing workshop and both artists will take part in an ‘in conversation’ event on Sunday, October 23.

For more information or to book, visit the Bendigo Tourism website.

The exhibition will run until November 6.