The Green Dress
This costume, photographed as part of the NFSA collection, is a lime-green confectionary triumph, replete with a sequined body suit, silver iridescent frills and a lycra flamenco skirt.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The iconic Australian movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert exploded into the history books at its Cannes Film Festival screening in 1994.
Our collection celebrates the movie with details about some of the costumes, including the Flip Flop dress, plus international posters, rare stills, clips and behind-the-scenes insights. Learn more from on-set photographer Elise Lockwood, director Stephan Elliott, executive producer Rebel Penfold-Russell and costume designer Tim Chappel.
'Come on girls. Let's go shopping.'
Special thanks to Rebel Penfold-Russell, Stephan Elliott, Tim Chappel and Elise Lockwood.
Please be advised that this page contains names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
All aboard Priscilla, the budget Barbie camper!
Directed by Stephan Elliott, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert stars Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp as two drag queens and a trans woman who journey across the Australian outback in a bus named Priscilla.
With an unashamedly queer sensibility that was groundbreaking in the mid-1990s, the film conquered with a global mainstream audience and won an Oscar for Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's iconic costumes. Priscilla spawned a best-selling soundtrack, stage musicals, reality programs and countless drag shows, and continues to be discovered by new generations.
In 2024, Elliott finally announced plans for a film sequel, telling Deadline 'It’s the 30th anniversary... and it’s time for Priscilla’s final adventure to get made'.
Pictured: Stephan Elliott and Guy Pearce on location with 'Priscilla'. Photo: Elise Lockwood
Creating the costumes
Oscar-winning costumes designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner are now preserved in the NFSA collection. Take a glimpse at the inspirations, craft and glamour of these iconic pieces.
The green dress
Chappel visited the NFSA in 2014 to talk about him and Gardiner’s creations, including the sequined green dress worn in the film by Hugo Weaving.
Hugo Weaving and the flip-flop dress
The Flip-flop Dress (or Thong Dress to us Aussies) was one of the most memorable looks from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Worn by Hugo Weaving in the film, the costume is now preserved as part of the NFSA collection.
'That dress was extraordinary – uncomfortable, difficult to walk in, difficult to be in, but visually striking and speaks volumes about the character.'
— Hugo Weaving
Wattle dress and red headpiece
Also preserved in the NFSA collection are a wattle dress worn by Guy Pearce and an elaborate red and yellow feathered headpiece worn by Terence Stamp while performing 'Finally'.
Golden victory
Lizzy Gardiner accepts the Oscar while wearing a dress constructed of gold credit cards. Initially conceived as a potential costume for the film, but vetoed at the time by American Express, Gardiner's dress won the night and is now part of the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.
Winner of Best Costume Design at the 1994 Academy Awards
'For The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, nominees Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel made the outrageous acceptable.' Sharon Stone announces the nominees – and then the surprise winners – for Best Costume Design at the Oscars ceremony held on 27 March 1995.
Lizzy Gardiner accepts the Oscar while wearing a dress constructed of gold credit cards. Initially conceived as a potential costume for the film, but vetoed at the time by American Express, Gardiner's dress won the night and is now part of the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.
Where are you blokes from?
After a drunken night at a pub in Broken Hill, the three drag artists – Mitzi (Hugo Weaving), Felicia (Guy Pearce) and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) – awake to find their bus defaced with homophobic graffiti.
They leave upset, but Felicia cheers the day by practising her operatic lip syncing on the roof of their bus, Priscilla.
Please note: this clip includes coarse language
Courtesy: Latent Image Productions
Priscilla behind the scenes
In 1993, Elise Lockwood landed a dream job – shooting the stills for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). Looking back, it’s these rare behind-the-scenes images that capture the true flavour of Lockwood’s Priscilla bonding experience, a 'wild ride' for cast and crew.
Read: Behind the scenes with stills
Photographer Elise Lockwood recalls life on the set of Priscilla and its iconic poster shot.
A visual feast
When Lockwood met with Stephan Elliott about Priscilla, she sensed right away that the project would be ‘a visual feast.’ Clips from her 2019 Oral History interview with the NFSA reveal the fast-paced shoot, how the poster shot of Hugo Weaving came about, and why she committed 'the ultimate stills crime' to capture the cast onstage.
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Terence Stamp will forever be a part of Australian film history, thanks to his role as Bernadette in Priscilla. Read more
Priscilla at the NFSA
Director Stephan Elliott visits the NFSA to make sure we hold the key components necessary for the film's ongoing preservation. Executive producer Rebel Penfold-Russell reflects on Priscilla's enduring and universal charm – 'At its core it’s got a family'.
Working with the NFSA is a very rewarding experience. You get to be archived forever. You never die!
— Rebel Penfold-Russell, executive producer
Priscilla custom-made shoe box
Priscilla costumes at the NFSA
'I will survive'
Priscilla, the bus, has broken down in the desert. A First Nations man (Alan Dargin) invites the three drag artists to his nearby camp, where they put on an impromptu show. Everyone joins in, including a yidaki (didgeridoo) player.
Courtesy: Latent Image Productions
The Queens of King's Canyon
Tick/Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) attempts to become more ‘masculine’ in the eyes of his son Benji (Mark Holmes), but the boy reassures his father that he accepts him as he is. Mitzi then joins Felicia (Guy Pearce) and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) in full drag for the climb to the top of King’s Canyon (Watarrka), thus fulfilling Felicia’s ambition.
Courtesy: Latent Image Productions
At a cinema near you
Priscilla postered
A selection of posters for Priscilla depict the film's flamboyant quirkiness, with Poland's art being the most innovative. When he visited the NFSA, director Stephan Elliott autographed one of the posters 'Drag is the Drug'.
