V&A DUNDEE will display one of the first Speedo swimsuits in its Scottish Design Galleries when the museum opens its doors on September 15.
The Racerback caused moral outrage when it was revealed in the 1920s and was banned from some beaches for being too revealing. But it revolutionised the swimwear industry.
The hydrodynamic design allowed swimmers more freedom of movement and reduced drag, quickly becoming a favourite of Olympic record-breakers.
It was also the swimsuit that made Speedo, an Australian company founded by Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae, a household name and paved the way for future controversial innovations.
Born in 1888, MacRae grew up in a small fishing village near Loch Kishorn in the West Highlands, before moving to Sydney in 1910 and setting up a hosiery company called MacRae Knitting Mills in 1914.
The firm was known for supplying the Australian Army with socks during World War I before branching out to cater for beach sports.
At the time, swimsuits were made of wool and had sleeves to protect the wearer's modesty.
But the Racerback had straps that crossed at the back and was made of cotton or silk, which absorbed less water. The radical design and materials enabled freer movement for the swimmer and so greater speed.
The design was significantly more tight-fitting than other swimwear of the time and included the distinctive Speedo tick logo.
In 1936 Speedo, under MacRae's leadership, caused more controversy when it dressed the Australian men's team in swimming shorts instead of the traditional one-piece for the Berlin Olympics.
Swedish swimmer Arne Borg, who won five Olympic medals and broke 32 world records, was one of those who embraced the daring new design. He featured in several Speedo advertisements.
Speedo also designed swimsuits for women. In 1932 Claire Dennis was almost disqualified from the Los Angeles Olympics for wearing a Speedo deemed to show too much shoulder.
The new design was also marketed to surfers and sunbathers. A Speedo catalogue described the Racerback
design as giving "maximum body exposure", making it the ideal choice for those in search of a tan.
A Racerback swimsuit will be loaned to V&A Dundee by the Leicestershire County Council Museums
Service. It is believed to be the only one in a UK collection.
It will be displayed in V&A Dundee's Scottish Design Galleries, which will also display about 300 beautiful and innovative objects from the V&A's world-famous collections of art, design and performance, together with objects from other lenders.
The galleries, which will be free to enter, will explore what is unique about Scotland's design landscape, historically and today, through design disciplines from the decorative arts - including furniture, textiles, metalwork and ceramics - to fashion, architecture, engineering and digital design.
V&A Dundee will also feature an ambitious international program of changing exhibitions showcasing the very best of design from around the world.