Christmas Tree installation by Matthew Williamson

For Christmas 2004, the V&A commissioned fashion designer Matthew Williamson to design the Museum's second Christmas tree. The V&A Christmas tree scheme was launched in 2003 with a tree designed by Alexander McQueen and Tord Boontje, demonstrating the V&A's commitment to contemporary design.

Marisol Grandon, in the Winter 04/05 issue of the V&A Magazine, writes;

'British designer Matthew Williamson makes clothes for some of the world's most beautiful women. His signature piece is the summer chiffon cocktail dress, glimmering with beading and embroidered with motifs from nature.

'From inauspicious beginnings in Manchester, the self-made Central St Martins graduate has established a substantial international business in seven short years. Today he can claim stockists all over the world, a flagship store in London and clutches of stars desperate to be seen in his dresses - including Jade Jagger, Madonna, Sienna Miller, Scarlett Johansson and Helena Christensen.'  

The V&A Christmas tree aimed to embrace and celebrate elements of design such as decoration and the innovative use of materials and processes. It combined the idea of a traditional tree with a contemporary design approach.

In describing his design, Matthew Williamson said,

'My initial instinct was to create a modern, conceptual almost futuristic tree, but after some consideration I changed my mind entirely. Christmas, for me is about tradition and I wanted the tree to reflect that. I felt the tree should be to be unique, grand and decadent - appropriate for it's surroundings.

'The tree has been decked with over 1,000 soft pink velvet and silk chiffon roses. Hand made birds, butterflies and dragonflies flutter amongst the branches and hover on the glittering gold logos of my own fashion label and this amazing museum. The tree embodies all the signature traits I use in my collections; refined colour combinations, femininity, ornate attention to detail and a fascination with nature.'

Further decorations included fairy lights in Matthew Williamson's signature pink and ornately decorated pairs of his own label shoes. The base of the tree was also coated in a carpet of moss, interspersed with white cyclamen and crawling with glittering rhinestone spiders.