To celebrate the new #AllAboard Pride Tram competition the Pride Centre is displaying entries from last year’s #AllAboard design competition this winter, along with the iconic ‘tram fabric’ dress designed by Gaetano Contarino for local drag artist Frock Hudson.

Design your own Pride Tram and submit your entry via the Yarra Trams website.

About the #AllAboard dress

Gaetano Contarino (he/him) is a 37-year-old self-taught textile designer who volunteers his time with community musical theatre companies in Melbourne. Yarra Trams commissioned Gaetano to create this costume for us in 2020 in collaboration with Frock Hudson.

“When Frock Hudson approached me to design a gown to be worn for the launch of the Yarra Trams #AllAboard Pride Tram, the brief was to make it big, camp, and include the Yarra Trams seat fabric design. I took one look at the fabric and instantly knew that the gown needed to emulate the abstract wattle design. From there I sketched up designs that embodied the wattle design.”

We received two other variations of the design but were so impressed with what you see on display here, and loved the passion and story behind the design, that we just had to get this version created.

“…the idea of a large, abstract, structural leaf, and a wattle flower fit-and-flair gown made from printed lycra was a starting point. Frock and I sat down together and slightly adapted the tram seat design. It took four iterations of the leaf structure before achieving the final result. Countless hours of planning, 54 hours of actual sewing…and voila!”

The gown itself has a built-in structure to support the weight of the gown and wattle flower flair, as well as the detachable leaf structure.

“As a self-taught hobby costume maker, having the opportunity to make what I believe is an iconic outfit for Frock Hudson and Yarra Trams was amazing and such a joyful experience.”