Visiting the exhibition 'Crown to Couture'

Having just returned from a visit to London, I wanted so much to share with you a wonderful day spent at Kensington Palace to see the current exhibition ‘Crown to Couture’. The exhibition is billed as the ‘fashion show of centuries’ and it is.

I wasn’t sure how this exhibition would be cohesive. The idea of displaying historical costumes alongside modern creations that are inspired by them sounds really fascinating, but wouldn’t they look rather strange and displaced side by side. Perhaps I prize those fabulous historical costumes too much….the handstitched detail, the embroidery, the extraordinary trends that became highly desirable, and perhaps I really am not overwhelmed by the outrageous modern day creations that seem engineered to spark social media devotion. However, I reserved judgement because exhibitions are not staged in venues like Kensington Palace if they are not something special. Modern curators are masters of their profession and here it was possible to see an incredibly well thought out concept of how period dress still influences us today. The historical exhibits were from archives of course, the modern pieces were largely from the Met Gala of 2022 where they adorned the celebrities of the day, on a theme of ‘Gilded Glamour’.

The exhibition is staged over a series of rooms in the palace and it is not about direct comparison between old and new, more about how fashions evolve and how small details of style or trim can be reinterpreted today. For those who love historical garments, there was a feast on display. I always find it astonishing how these rather fragile looking textiles have survived intact, but am so glad that they have as they are just beautiful to behold. When you consider the tools available to them in the 18th century, these creations seems rather incredible.

When you look at a piece like the one above it is a wonder to me that this was considered practical on any level and of course it wasn’t. The vast majority of the population were wearing very basic linen garments probably more like rags than actual clothes. This vast creation has layers of embroidered frills, trims of lace and a tight fighting bodice with an enormous skirt that must have been extremely uncomfortable to wear. I can’t imagine how it stayed clean and fresh and perhaps it was not so dissimilar to the eye popping garments at the met gala, where it is all about making a grand entrance and marking out your status. Only a very wealthy or aristocratic woman would have worn this gown and probably only for a short time too, giving the impression of power and status. 18th century influencers…nothing new under the sun!

There was a wonderful display of ‘stays’ near the beginning of the exhibition which really sets the scene for how these garments kept their form. This style of garment has become fashionable on it’s own in recent times, but here it was simply a functional piece of underwear. How many hours though would this have taken to make with tiny channels stitched to hold the fine whalebone strips in place. They added such gorgeous details too and no area of the garment is left unattended to. When you think of the sloppy machine stitching and stretchy fabrics of today how different life was in those days.

Mens costumes too were extremely highly embellished. This stunning embroidery is just mind blowing, but look how beautifully the colours of the silks sit on the pale chocolate silk of the jacket and breeches. The buttons are probably more decorative than functional, but I cannot imagine where to begin to make such a small and detailed circlet of minute stitches. In modern times there has again become much more cross over between masculine and feminine styles. Theatrical stunts aside, the lines have become more blurred especially in terms of colour. For example, I cannot imagine my father ever wearing a pink jumper - these days they are often found on the high street. Here at the exhibition there were some very extravagant outfits worn by male celebrities.

This particular Georgian dress fascinated me. It reminds me of the Alabama Chanin concept that I love so much adding appliqué and texture with ruffles and layers of gathered fabric. The level of details of those tightly pleated zig zags down the front of the bodice seem highly creative and also an enormous amount of work. As much as I love embroidery, I also find layers of textured embellishment to be very visually effective.

This gown was worn by Iris Law at the Met Gala in 2022. The beauty of the layers of fine gold edged feathers that are encased in gold mesh that give way to a delicate shiffon skirt was stunning. The cut out bodice is modern and yet the overall effect has a vintage flavour because of the level of detail and texture.

What can I say…. this extraordinary creation was worn by Katy Perry at the 2019 Met Gala. It is a show stopper and really very fun. Personally the shoes would be enough for me (which were incredibly beautiful), but it sparkled and dazzled and was doubtless, sensational on the day.

Beyonce’s gown was really very stylish and the embellishment was out of this world but my real favourite was…

This splendid design was worn by Blake Lively and it pays homage to the architecture of New York City. It just had everything. Not just the sheer imagination to create such a gown, but the colours were so complimentary together and the detail on every element of this gown was astounding. You hardly knew what to look at first. The embroidered train was breathtaking with mystical motifs taken from the ceiling decoration in Grand Central Station and the whole ensemble was incredible.

Other dresses inspired me to think again about dressmaking and remember my ‘Hinterland Dress…but really the Outlander Dress’ - well, version 2 might be coming up.

Old and new seamlessly melded together to make this a thought provoking exhibition. I considered how embroidery is timeless and always looks beautiful, no matter what time period or motif. You can always look to the past for inspiration and make it modern and while you do, remember all those women who wore all those gowns and wonder at the stories they could tell.

This exhibition is nearly at it’s end but I am sure there will be more to come in the future. However, if you do get a chance to visit Kensington Palace, there is more to see as well. This was where Queen Victoria was born and lived until she became Queen. There is a wonderful Jewel room displaying tiara’s and other items from the royal family and the little princess’s private apartments are charming, loaded with atmosphere and ever changing displays of her beautiful things.

There have been many visits to this place over the years and always there is something new to see and learn about. From my childhood, Queen Victoria always fascinated me and I have a lot of books about her. When I walk through these hallowed halls, I feel a little tingle run through my veins to remind me that I have come to pay homage. Heroines are always a good thing to have, and she is definitely one of mine.

See you next time when I will be writing about my Oak Leaves embroidery and it’s antique frame - a challenge on several levels.

Ruby x