During the 1960s the young Kiri Te Kanawa won major singing competitions in New Zealand and Australia and quickly established herself as New Zealand’s most popular lyric soprano. Even then Kiri’s style and flair were apparent. The dress for her first major singing competition, the Mobil Song Quest, was bought secondhand, but it was later remodelled by designer Gary Dahms and remained one of her favourites.

Top photo: Portrait of Kiri, late 1960s. Photograph by Richard Dormer
Bottom photo: The 'Mobil Song' dress, 1963. Photograph by Kevin Bunbury, courtesy of John Bunbury.