IN FINE STYLE
Doublets, codpieces and other vintage garments of Henry VIII and his contemporaries are on display in the Queen’s Gallery of Buckingham Palace. “In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion” shows that the changing styles of the 16th and 17th centuries were central to court life and served as a means of expressing social status. Along with portraits of royals decked out in their finery, the exhibits include some actual period garments, jewels and suits of armor. A miniature figurine of Queen Henrietta Maria comes with over a dozen mica overlays that can be transposed onto her face to change her demeanor and costumes, a very antique forerunner of today’s paper doll sets. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/in-fine-style-the-art-of-tudor-and-stuart-fashion-QGBP
Lady Diana evening gown, now owned by Pat Kerr, on display at Kensington Palace.
FASHION RULES
Day dresses and evening gowns actually worn by Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Diana Princess of Wales are displayed in “Fashion Rules” in Kensington Palace. Photos and videos of formal occasions show the royals wearing the garments and one can see first hand the Queen’s fastidious combinations of “diplomatic” ensembles including an evening gown deliberately designed in the colors of the Pakistani flag for a state occasion. Princess Margaret, the “royal rebel” had more freedom in her choices with brighter colors, shorter shirts, and exotic caftans designed to wear at her Mustique Island getaway.
Pat Kerr beside a sketch of the Princess Diana blue gown she has lent to the Kensington Palace exhibit.
Most spectacular is the royal blue gown sprinkled with stars that Princess Diana wore during a visit to Italy, which is now owned by American designer Pat Kerr, who invited her family and friends to the opening reception at Kensington Palace. We had canapés, lots of champagne and a chance to meet the curators and officials of Estee Lauder, which is sponsoring the exhibit.
A “bonus” to visitors is the adjacent wing of Kensington Palace. Visitors can glance up at the royal home of new baby Prince George of Cambridge in residence here when he’s staying in London. http://www.hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace/WhatsOn/FashionRules
FROM CLUB TO CATWALK
The creative explosion of the 1980’s is set up in a riotous exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum showing how tee shirts, minis and clothes of leather and rubber evolved from the frenzied nightclub scene into fashion show creations. From black gothic getups to strapped and buckled fetish ensembles to the extreme theatricality of High Camp, the clothes show how individual inventiveness led to long-term trends. Designer John Galliano, a student at the time, recalls weekends at school when “the college was almost deserted. Everybody was at home working on their costumes for the weekend.” http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-from-club-to-catwalk-london-fashion-in-the-80s/about-the-exhibition/
