Fashion royalty meets actual royalty at Kensington Palace’s new exhibition “Crown to Couture.” The exhibit examines how the Georgian era has inspired some of today’s iconic red carpet looks. Outfits previously worn by Beyoncé, Lizzo, Blake Lively, Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga, as well as the silver tissue gown worn at the court of Charles II, are among the over 200 objects on display in the palace’s State Apartments.
“We’re so excited to be transforming Kensington Palace’s State Apartments for our largest ever exhibition, Crown to Couture. To see these historic spaces filled with stunning examples of both historic and contemporary dress truly brings them to life, and we can’t wait for our visitors to experience these rooms in a completely new way,” Polly Putnam, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said. “From your choice of designer and materials to the subtle messages your dress communicates, this exhibition demonstrates the parallels between the world of the Georgian court and the modern day red carpet as they have never been seen before.”
Claudia Acott Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, added, “The customs of the Georgian court might seem distant and anachronistic, but we hope that Crown to Couture will provide a new and familiar lens through which to understand the palace’s spaces and the court’s traditions. By placing historic court dress in conversation with contemporary red carpet fashion and modern celebrity we begin to see that they are perhaps not so alien after all. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with a wide variety of exceptional creatives, including
The exhibit, supported by Garrard, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Cunard, opens April 5 and is scheduled to end Oct. 29. Take a sneak peek at the “Crown to Couture” exhibit below…
