An exciting new exhibition is coming to Kensington Palace next spring, uniting together red-carpet couture and historic royal fashion – the largest ever staged there. Entitled Crown to Couture, the installation will present everything from a Met Gala gown Lizzo wore to sparkly regal dresses worn at 18th-century Georgian court.
Kensington Palace, famously a stage for historic royal fashion, will open up the doors to its stunning state apartment rooms, where visitors will be able to view over 200 items on display. The exhibition will follow everything from the preparation and styling necessary for certain events, as well as the “fashion rules” that must be followed, to the final grand arrivals at both royal court and the red carpet. Visitors will learn the lengths that stars and royals go in order to get attention, as well as the more subtle messages that clothing delivers, and discover sources of design inspiration for designers and couturiers.
John Shearer // Getty Images
Historic Royal Palaces – the charity that cares for Kensington Palace, among other royal residences – is who is behind creating the experience, in collaboration with the Emmy-winning production designer Joseph Bennett, known for his work on Alexander McQueen’s headline-making fashion shows.
“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with a wide variety of well-known fashion houses and emerging designers to showcase some of the most iconic red carpet looks of recent years and celebrate the wonderful diversity and creativity we see there today,” says Claudia Acott Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). “By bringing these familiar looks into the palace and placing them in conversation with spectacular 18th-century court dress, we hope to provide a new perspective on these historic spaces and the seemingly distant customs of the Georgian Court, and allow visitors to experience the palace as it was meant to be experienced: filled to the brim with the most fashionable and influential names of the day.”
Kevin Winter/MTV VMAs 2020 // Getty Images
Certain items to be displayed include the Thom Browne gown Lizzo wore to the 2022 Met Gala, and the capacious green Christopher John Rogers dress Lady Gaga showed off at the 2020 MTV VMAs. The scale and silhouette of these dresses are similar to the size and style of designs that would have appeared in Kensington Palace centuries before.
“The sheer scale of the contemporary couture gowns that are showcased in the exhibition – including the corseted black satin dress and ornate gold-embroidered cape designed by Thom Browne for Lizzo… are a match for the vast hooped skirts of the Georgian era,” writes Justine Picardie for Harper’s Bazaar. “The setting in the sumptuous state apartments could not be more suitable, for these were the backdrop for lavish royal events during the reign of the Georgian monarchs (while the palace later became the fashionable home for generations of royal families, including Diana, Princess of Wales, and her sons).”
An arrangement of breathtaking jewels will also be on display, with Garrard presenting pieces including the Marguerite earrings and necklace worn by Beyoncé in 2013, and the brooch worn by Queen Elizabeth II when she attended the front row at London Fashion Week.
Yui Mok // Getty Images
Beside the contemporary looks made by today’s designers, the exhibition will also pay respect to the complex design of the Georgian age, from the distinctive mantua to the delicately embroidered court suit, with pieces donated from the HRP’s Royal Ceremonial Dress collection – incorporating a tremendous lineup of accessories such as fans, dress swords, hats and even a wig-curler. A notable highlight is the world-famous Silver Tissue Dress, on loan from the Fashion Bath, which will form the opening to the exhibition and is an example of the type of royal fashion worn during the reign of King Charles II. The fine silk gown, handwoven with silver thread, is thought to be one of the very few complete dresses remaining from the 17th century.
? Fashion Museum Bath
Ian Serfontein
“Just as the designers of today dress celebrity royalty for important public events, Kensington Palace was home to the original red carpet of the Georgian court,” says Polly Putnam, curator at Historic Royal Palaces. “Crown to Couture will demonstrate the similarities in the fashion ‘rules’ set out by high-society designers, drawing fascinating comparisons between the present day and the 18th century, when the palace was at its most busy, exciting and politically and culturally important.”
Crown to Couture will be open from April 5 to October 29, 2023 and is included in palace admission.
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