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...
© Historic Royal Palaces / Peter Dundas for DUNDASThe Peter Dundas ensemble worn by Beyoncé to the 2017 Grammys is on display in the Presence Chamber.
© © Historic Royal Palaces / Monique LhuillierPhoebe Waller-Bridge’s Monique Lhuillier gown from the 2019 Emmys is displayed in the Queen’s Gallery.
© © Historic Royal PalacesA look at other outfits displayed in the Queen’s Gallery.
© © Historic Royal Palaces/ COURTESY OF THOM BROWNELizzo’s couture dress and coat by Thom Browne, which she wore to the 2022 Met Gala, is on display in the King’s Gallery.
© © Historic Royal Palaces / Fashion Museum Bath / Courtesy of E-Land Museum / Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and SciencesThe Pigott Gallery features a 1660s silver tissue gown worn by Lady Theophilia Harris next to a dress designed by Edith Head for the film Roman Holiday, which was altered by Givenchy for the 1954 Oscars and worn by Audrey Hepburn.
© © Historic Royal Palaces / Billy PorterBilly Porter’s Giles Deacon corset gown from the 2020 Oscars is displayed in the Cupola Room.
