Step Into the Spotlight: DIVA Brings Iconic Costumes Worn by Rihanna, Whitney Houston and Kylie Minogue to Melbourne

What makes a diva? Is it number-one hits, jaw-dropping red-carpet gowns, or a larger-than-life persona?

The word “diva” might conjure spectacular costumes and once-in-a-generation talents, but behind every powerful performer deemed worthy of the grandiose label is, of course, a person. The essence of a diva lies somewhere between the glittering ballgowns and the individual behind them. When a diva sits at the vanity mirror, the legacy of the performers who came before them stares right back.

The Australian Museum of Performing Arts’ (AMPA) first-ever exhibition DIVA celebrates this legacy through more than 250 objects. The showcase includes costumes taken straight from the stage, as well as personal ephemera such as handwritten lyrics that reveal the private lives of divas behind the curtain.

“The exhibition goes right back to defining the idea of the word ‘diva’: a divine being and a supremely talented person,” Margot Anderson, head of curatorial at Arts Centre Melbourne, tells Broadsheet. “The very early performers in the 19th century, opera divas, were given the name. And then over time, diva was applied across different art forms – so across stage and into screen, dance and beyond – and it was really embraced as quite a powerful term.”

Developed by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, DIVA brings together 60 costumes, jewellery, photographs and artworks from the museum’s collection, alongside items loaned from around the world. At AMPA, this will be complemented by pieces from Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection and items loaned from performers’ personal collections, forming a “prelude” to the V&A exhibition and celebrating the impact and evolution of Australian divas.

“We explore the notion of the very accessible, lighthearted ‘girl next door’ image that was created in the ’80s and ’90s by Australians overseas, then explore how this image has been reshaped to become more self-determined over time,” Anderson says.

A standout item in the exhibition is a rhinestone-encrusted leather jacket worn by Olivia Newton-John during her 2014 to 2016 Las Vegas residency. Visitors will also see the bright red-caped catsuit Kylie Minogue wore in the music video for Padam Padam. “You don’t really get a good sense of the construction and the detail when you see it in the video. So I think people will be really surprised to see it in the flesh and really get to appreciate the design element that’s gone into creating this fantastic costume,” Anderson says.

If DIVA makes one thing clear, it’s that the notion of a diva isn’t static. “The exhibition comes full circle and really explores contemporary performers, and it looks at how the idea of the diva has been redefined and reshaped in everyone’s image,” Anderson says. “It’s become a very accessible, open term and an empowering idea. [The exhibition] also takes us through a really interesting lens of protest and how performers who have got this voice and have got this attention can actually help push through limits of racism and really explore women’s liberation, but also crossing genders and really opening up the idea of the diva. So that’s where you get to meet some fantastic performers across time: Barbra Streisand, Annie Lennox, Billie Holiday, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Björk.”

DIVA stretches right back through performing arts history, showcasing performers from the 19th century to today. It features pioneering opera singers and actors from Australia and beyond, including Dame Nellie Melba, Sarah Bernhardt and Ellen Terry. The exhibition also spotlights the divas of film. “Mary Pickford, Carole Lombard – those fantastic starlets of the day – through to more contemporary screen idols like Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, really looking at how they were representing women on stage and starting to really take control of their own careers,” Anderson says. Broadway, cabaret and showgirl stars will also be spotlighted with designs by iconic costume designer Bob Mackie on display.

The red carpet, too, is one of a diva’s best tools. Anderson describes it as a “stage for people to express their identity and push boundaries”. Visitors can see some of the most memorable looks, including Rihanna’s bedazzled papal-themed 2018 Met Gala look designed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela; Whitney Houston’s 1994 Grammys gown, which she wore while accepting the award for Song of the Year for I Will Always Love You ; and the sky-blue Valentino ballgown worn by Lady Gaga at the 2019 Golden Globes; as well as outfits worn by Doja Cat and Elton John.

As AMPA’s inaugural exhibition, DIVA feels perfectly suited. “AMPA is an iconic destination that’s going to preserve and unlock a lot of Australia’s performing arts stories,” Anderson says. “This exhibition celebrates the power and creativity of iconic performers and looks at the way that they’ve actually used the spotlight over time to change the development of an art form. That’s really important for us here, collecting and preserving Australian performing arts history.”

DIVA will be on display from December 11, 2025, to April 26, 2026. Visit artscentremelbourne.com.au for more details.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of Arts Centre Melbourne.