These couture garments, on display for the first time, were designed by South African couturier Chris Levin, and generously donated to Iziko Museums of South Africa by art doyen, Mark Coetzee.

In Corsets & Couture, a late-Victorian black outfit with its black beaded trimmings, is juxtaposed with a small collection of eight couture garments from the 1960s to 1990s. The older outfit is an example of attire which the house’s best-known tenant, Marie Koopmans-de Wet, would have worn over a corset. The infamous corset, which was obligatory wear for women, forced a woman's curves into the shape of the fashionable silhouette of the day, attempting especially to decrease the size of the waist by a few inches.

Iziko Koopmans-de Wet House celebrates its centenary in 2014, as the oldest house museum in South Africa, having first opened its doors to the public in 1914. The museum is named after Marie Koopmans-de Wet (1834 to 1906) who lived here with her sister Margaritha.

Koopmans-de Wet was a well-connected, energetic, charismatic and strong-minded woman who was passionate about Cape colonial heritage. After her husband's death in 1879, she chose to wear black for the rest of her life, as Queen Victoria had chosen to do before her. It is also believed that she made her own clothes.

Corsets & Couture is an exhibition for anyone with an interest in fashion, design and historical costume, and offers a rare opportunity to see Chris Levin's garments at close quarters. The exhibition is on display at Iziko Koopmans-de Wet from Friday, 8 August until Friday, 31 October.

Koopmans-de Wet House is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on certain commemorative days and public holidays. It is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, Workers’ Day and Christmas Day. Entrance fees are R20 for adults; R10 for 18 years and under; and R10 for South African students and pensioners with valid SA card. It is free under 5s to enter.

For more information, visit www.iziko.org.za. For enquiries, phone Wieke van Delen on 021 467 7203 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, phone Nomapatho Mesele on 021 467 7218 or email [email protected].