From the modesty of bloomers to the seductiveness of lacy corsets, a new exhibition gives us a rare glimpse into the most intimate and private parts of history. The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney have unveiled their 'Undressed: 350 Years of Underwear in Fashion' collection, which features undergarments from the 17th-century to  more modern garments worn by celebrities such as Emma Watson, Cindy Crawford and even Queen Victoria. The exhibition features 81 pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and includes a  section devoted to the fetish corsets and fur-trimmed designs of racy Australian dominatrix Madame Lash. Scroll down for video . A highlight of the exhibition is this hot pink corset from the 18th century . Apart from a brief stint in Bendigo and Perth, the collection has never been seen by any members of the public before and lead curator Edwina Ehrman believes people will be both shocked and intrigued by what's on display. 'The exhibition focuses on how important underwear has been since the 17th century right through to the present day,' Ms Ehrman told Daily Mail Australia. 'It looks at the way women have used underwear and garments to constrict their body. 'For instance when it was desirable to have a slim waist or broaden their hips.' The collection also takes a look at the more practical aspects of underwear, such as hygiene and keeping women warm in the Winter or cool in the Summer. In the 18th century, proprietary was measured by the type of clothes you wore and while this is very much a fashion exhibition, it also delves into the social aspects of underwear and its status in society. A special section of the exhibition has been dedicated to famous dominatrix Madame Lash . 77 mannequins will showcase over 81 garments at the exhibition. The V&A house over 100,000 items and the collection is particularly strong from the 18th century onwards. The vast majority of the garments come from the museum's own archives however some garments were borrowed from designers to showcase their work. The exhibition is ordered chronologically. The first section covers the practical side of underwear while the second section looks at how underwear was used to fit the body and seduce men. It looks at corsets, targeting in the 18th century and how women's shapes have changed. The bra is then introduced with the girdle and the collection shows how important technology has been in the advancement of undergarments. There is a section which looks at the Victorian period and very closely at the fashions from the 20th century and particularly the 1990s. 'Some of the garments on display have been worn in adverts or fashion magazines to promote underwear and the fashionable body image,' Ms Ehrman said. The key image from the exhibition is that of a hot pink corset with delicate black lace detailing. 77 mannequins will showcase 81 designs from the 17th century onwards, including racy, seductive and functional underwear . It was considered quite racy in the 1890s and was an extremely unexpected colour from that era. 'It was a very high end corset,' Ms Ehrman said. 'It’s covered with silk satin - not cotton or linen - and the brighter the colour in general the more expensive the corset was. It’s quite racy and it’s very much a piece that would have been revealed as a woman undresses. It’s a star item.' A garment that is sure to shock people is the maternity corset from the 18th century. 'People grew up wearing corsets and there were no bras at this time so people would have felt undressed and they would lose their self esteem if they didn't wear a corset,' Ms Ehrman said. 'But it’s very cleverly designed. I love the technology and invention that’s gone into creating the undergarments.' The exhibition has dedicated a whole section to Australian artist and famous dominatrix Madame Lash (Gretel Pinniger). The 70-year-old became famous in the 70's when she opened Sydney's first retail S&M emporium on Oxford Steet called Game Birds. She was a pioneer of her generation and spent years designing and creating intricate corsets and controversial S&M gear. Even now, Ms Pinniger lives and breaths the underworld life and at the opening of the exhibition even decided to wear a white corset adorned with a crown of flowers and a sacred heart which lit up. Some of the garments are sure to shock people but most open up a conversation about the role undergarments play in society . The corset had actually been designed for Pinniger for the Sydney Mardi Gras parade, where she was a celebrant and married three same-sex couples. However she told Daily Mail Australia that she is extremely honoured to be included in the collection and is proud of her work, which she conducted 34-years-ago. 'They have included an exhibition of my work they've had for so long which is a great honour for me,' Ms Pinniger said. 'They were things I made 34 years ago and they've included the painted ones. I did the painting on those garments in the first two weeks of my son’s life.' Ms Pinniger was inspired to venture down the seductive S&M road over 35-years-ago. 'For my own interests - and for others who I hoped would be interested - I was making corsets and corset dresses. Ms Pinniger said she became 'fascinated' with corsetry while on a trip to London with her fiancée at the time. This blue silk corset is a typical style that would have been worn by Queen Victoria  in the 1860s . He took her to a place called Madame Medeq, a famous corset-maker's shop in London. 'It was a very discreet establishment that made purportedly medical corsets but but she ordered out for her clientèle,' Ms Pinniger said. 'I got measured up for two very tight and restrictive corsets and when she finished with me she turned to my fiancée and said ‘and for you sir?’ Ms Pinniger said she was 'completely thrilled' with the whole thing and took her interest back to Sydney where she opened up her own business. 'I took great pain over each garment,' she said. 'I made my clothes in fantasy fabrics and I measured everybody for those garments. I had ideas on the rack but really the business depended on me because they would order from me and I’d design for them.' 'So I made garments for brides,men, Madame Lash and anyone who wanted to live the fantasy life. 'I've always liked people who were different and who wanted to be taken out of their usual selves when they were in my clothing and I succeeded there. A range of garments from such designers as Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier will be on display . When she eventually sold her business in 1986 to become a full-time artist, she had a garage sale and each item was snapped up. Now Ms Pinniger says she is extremely grateful that her designs are being honoured at the exhibition. Included in the Madame Lash's collection is a brasserie and g-string and a ruffled white and pink corset designed in 1981. A white leather corset with scalped detail and metal reinforcements is also on display along with women's bloomers and leather cuffs. 'Back then Sydney was not mono-cultural but it certainly wasn't multicultural,' Ms Pinniger said. 'Now in Sydney I see dresses that I would kill to be able to go into a shop to buy. Back then I had to pour ink into nail polish just to get a colour.' 'Everything's very accessible now but the workmanship that goes into real corsets and what I used to put into corsets is what I’d like to see again.' Undressed's core themes include modesty and practicality, decoration and seduction and control and corsetry . Ms Pinniger said people are more adventurous with their undergarments now and believes that her shop would have thrived in the modern world. 'My collection was done 35 years ago and some people have said that they can remember my shop but they were too scared to go in. Now there’s quite a taste for it,' she said. 'I think the things I did back then would definitely work to a much bigger clientèle than I attracted. 'I was there for the love of it, you couldn't say it was majorly profitable. Very often I had to pawn my rings to pay my workers. It was always a bit touch and go.' Undressed: 350 Years of Underwear in Fashion opens at the Powerhouse Museum on March 28 and runs until 12 July  2015. Tickets can be bought here.
A new collection at the Powerhouse Museum will showcase 350 years of underwear . From bloomers to corsets, nothing is out of bounds and it is set to shock and intrigue visitors . Famous designers such as Calvin Klein and Vivienne Westwood feature in the exhibition . A special section will be dedicated to Australian dominatrix Madame Lash .