It was high octane glamour all the way in this dazzling display of historic and modern day costumes in the exhibition Crown to Couture at Kensington Palace. This was actually my first visit to the venue despite passing it often on journeys through Kensington gardens. The exhibition is the largest ever held by Kensington Palace and is a mix of fashion and celebrity culture contrasting today's red carpet designer outfits against 18th Century historical court attire demonstrating that the spectacle of fashion to draw attention to oneself is not just a recent phenomena. It was an education learning about the dressing rituals undergone before presenting oneself at historical court events and fascinating to discover that there is very little difference between the past and now. The voyeuristic aspects of celebrity, the benefits of its status, and the clothes these stars wear has always been something that will continue to interest to many. The historic idea of an 'open court' began under the rule of Charles II where anybody could gain attention and climb their way up the social ladder through dress. The notion of the red carpet today affords similar opportunities to attain status and fame. Each of the beautiful, atmospheric rooms of the Palace where courtiers would go to see and be seen plays host to wonderful displays of outfits which have graced the red carpets of the Met Ball gala and various premiers. The capacious spaces of the Palace were built to accommodate the hugely extravagant mantua skirts of the period which could be as broad as three-metres wide. Just as interesting as the outfits were the historic palace rooms - The King's Gallery, where courtiers would gather for an audience with the king, the Council Chamber where George II declared war on France in 1756, and the beautifully painted ceiling of the Cupola Room designed by William Kent in which Queen Victoria was baptised. The first case in the exhibition contains a coveted Oscar statuette flanked by The Silver Tissue Dress of 1660, the oldest surviving complete court gown in history, and the Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn for which she won Best Actress in 1954. What follows after these two dresses in that first case is a tour through the historic rooms and some seriously beautiful outfits worn by the great and good of entertainment. There are examples of the hooped frameworks of the bustle skirts of the period and modern corsetry including a Mr Pearl corset worn by Dita Von Teese with the tiniest waist imaginable. There is also a section which deals with the accompanying accessories and dazzling jewellery that complete the outfits worn to such starry events. There are a few stand-out outfits in the exhibition such as the gold Peter Dundas gown and headdress worn by Beyoncé to the 2017 Grammys which is important enough to have been given the Presence Chamber room to itself in the exhibition. Katy Perry's Moschino Chandelier dress worn to the 2019 Met Gala is also a fun, camp highlight, as are the various show-stopping ensembles worn by Billy Porter. A personal favourite was an ornately embroidered and bejewelled Givenchy haute couture dress worn by Kendall Jenner. There are a range of techniques, fabrics and treatments on display from the appliqued ruffles of the mantua skirts to insanely ornate and painstaking hand embroidered stitching on both the Georgian period and modern outfits. It's not all purely glamour for glamour's sake though. The "Politics, Fashion and Power" section of the exhibition demonstrates how certain stars have used their celebrity and the red carpet to highlight and promote various causes such as voting and gay rights through their strategically chosen outfits. This is a real blockbuster of an exhibition and a must-see for anybody interested in textile techniques, historic costume and contemporary fashion.
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