OBSERVER: Kylie at Australian Music Vault
The Australian Music Vault honours the achievements of the 2025 recipient of the APRA Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, the ‘Princess of Pop’ Kylie Minogue , with a new display featuring archival material drawn from the Australian Performing Arts Collection.
In this display, Kylie lovers will find iconic objects and photos from her music videos and tours. Kylie’s creative journey has always been celebrated by her fans, and this display will allow them to get up close to significant moments in her career.
Included in the display is a multi colored sequined bodysuit designed by Ian McMaugh, worn during the Enjoy Yourself tour (1990), the mugshot identification board for ‘Indie Kylie’ in the video for ‘Did It Again’ (1997) and her Azzedine Alaïa designed shoes worn in the music video for ‘Chocolate’ (2004).
Also on display is the Stephen Jones designed cowboy hat worn to promote the single ‘Cowboy Style’ (1997) plus a selection of her signature Dolce and Gabbana jewellery worn during the KylieFever2002 tour.
In a career that has spanned five decades, Melbourne-born international pop icon Kylie Minogue has released 17 studio albums, undertaken 20 international tours and won two Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards and 18 ARIA Awards. She is now the highest-selling Australian female recording artist of all time, with over 80 million records sold globally.
Kylie first received major international recognition in the 1980s as mechanic Charlene Robinson on the television soap opera Neighbours. Her recording of ‘The Locomotion’ led to a record deal with Mushroom Records in 1987 and her debut album Kylie was released a year later. Kylie’s career as a recording artist took off when the album’s breakthrough single ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ hit No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
Kylie’s ongoing commitment to her craft has continued to garner recognition including Helpmann Awards, MTV Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame inductee, Officer of the Order of Australia, and much more. In 2024, Time listed her amongst some of the 100 most influential people in the world and she secured her first residency in Las Vegas.
In addition to her renown as a recording artist, Kylie is known for her exceptional live performances. She is currently on her Tension tour, which began in Perth on February 15 nd will see her play 70 shows across the world.
All of the objects included in this display have been drawn from the Australian Performing Arts Collection at Arts Centre Melbourne. The Kylie Minogue Collection, which started as a single costume donation in 1991, today includes over 300 costumes and accessories, alongside other material related to her concert tours.
The Australian Music Vault is a free exhibition developed by Arts Centre Melbourne in collaboration with the music industry and was a key initiative of the State Government’s Music Works strategy.
The exhibition is a celebration of the Australian contemporary music story – past, present and future.