London Fashion Exhibitions: on now
Looking for fashion exhibitions in London? Big bustles and gowns fit for princesses await in Culture Whisper's guide to the best fashion museums and retrospectives
London Fashion Exhibitions: on now
Fashion Exhibitions in London
Super Sharp
Innovation Camden Palace, 17 August 1996, photograph by Tristan O'Neill
What were raves like in the nineties? And why did everyone who was anyone choose to wear high-end Italian brands when they went to one? Conceived with the help and archives of Saul Milton, one half of British band Chase & Status, Super Sharp at the Fashion Space Gallery tells the story of Jungle and UK garage and the fashion that shaped it: Moschino, Versace, Iceberg and D&G, through photographs, testimonials and sweat-soaked garments.
1 February - 21 April 2018
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T Shirt: Cult, Culture, Subversion at the Fashion and Textile Museum
Act Against Aids '93.jpg
What can we say about the humble t shirt? This wardrobe staple is the most basic of basics, providing a useful stop-gap between your statement necklace and statement trousers, or just an extra layer in the cold. In fact, the Fashion and Textile Museum has a lot to say about this simple garment. 200 statement t shirts are going on display in their upcoming spring exhibition: T Shirt: Cult, Culture, Subversion. You'll find protest shirts from Vivienne Westwood's back catalogue, punk t shirts and works of art in clothing form.
As well as political t shirts (look out for the 'No more page 3' shirt and the Guerilla Girls' 'Advantages of being a woman artist' shirt), the exhibition will look at how band t shirts from Joy Division to The Rolling Stones have come to mean far more outside the music world, how Vetements turned the DHL logo into a designer item and how modern brands like BOY have kept logo t shirts current.
From Feb 18 – 06 May 18, Closed on Tuesdays
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COMING SOON
Fashioned from Nature, V&A
Fashioned from Nature, opening in April 2018 at the V&A, will explore how fashionable dress over the past 400 years recurringly draws on the beauty and power of the natural world. It will be a mega blockbuster exhibition tracing 'the complex relationship between fashion and the natural world'. With exquisite garments and accessories from Christian Dior, Dries van Noten, Philip Treacy and, of course, sustainability veteran Stella McCartney, it's set to be a visual feast.
From 21st April
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Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier
Before his untimely passing in November last year, Tunisian-born designer Azzedine Alaïa was the darling of the fashion world. Edward Enninful called him a 'visionary' Naomi Campbell said he 'captured the essence of femininity', and the Design Museum were working with him on a retrospective of his work. Now, the planned retrospective has become a tribute to the late designer. Go in May 2018 to see Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier at The Design Museum and be amazed by the sculptural, feminine designs that have triumphed on catwalks, red carpets – and now in great museums.
From 10 May 2018
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Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern
Photograph by Venetia Scott
The Fashion and Textile Museum are hosting a retrospective that celebrates British fashion designer Orla Kiely. Best known for her sunny graphic prints inspired by the natural world, Kiely's world will be portrayed in 150 objects and photographs. The museum has exclusive access to the designer archive. It might feel deliciously retro, but these patterns have only been around since the 1990s - Kiely's creations are truly a lesson in timeless style.
From 25 May 2018 - 23 September 2018
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This is first time that Frida Kahlo's hidden possessions have left Mexico to come to London. Locked away in a bathroom by her husband, some 300 of her personal effects were uncovered in 2004, including her dresses, prosthetics, letters and photographs. This is a rare chance to glimpse into the extraordinary everyday life of one of the world's most fascinating artists, item by item.
From 16 June 2018 to 4 November 2018
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