Dior x Hokusai: An action packed Art Party returns in October

From Dior-inspired fashion illustrations to frame-by-frame manga animations, teens will dive into a colourful world of Japanese- and French-themed art, food, music, and dance at the next Art Party at NGV International on Saturday 7 October.

Inspired by NGV's blockbuster exhibitions The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture and Hokusai, Art Party is an exhilarating party that offers teens (aged 13 – 17) exclusive after-hours access to these major exhibitions at NGV. Guests will be treated to pop-up art workshops and interactive activities, captivating dance performances by students from Albert Park College and live DJ sets by teen DJs, DJ LAIKS and DJ Sunday.

In a pop-up activity set inside The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture exhibition, teens will create their own fashion illustrations that draw inspiration from the breath-taking garments on display around them with Melbourne fashion illustrator, Nicole Onslow. Surrounded by more than 140 hand-crafted couture garments, accessories and shoes, Nicole will create custom sketches of participating teens, adorning them in elaborately illustrated fashion designs.

Drawing inspiration from one of Japan's most prolific artists and a pioneer of Japanese manga, Katsushika Hokusai, Art Party guests can also spend the night creating intricate frame-by-frame manga animations. Using iPads, participants will create their own animations inside the exquisitely-designed Hokusai exhibition space alongside The Great Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), an artwork famed for its many reinterpretations in popular culture, including as an emoji.

A multi-sensory experience, Art Party will include Japanese and French-inspired catering, including sushi, noodles, baguettes and croissants along with exclusive gelato flavours from Pidapipò Gelateria. In honour of the House of Dior, one of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, guests are also invited to come to the party in their most creative and fashion forward ensembles.

Teens will learn more about the two exhibitions on display with guided exhibition tours, led by Teen Guides.