Four haute couture dresses by Madeleine Vionnet
These four evening dresses were designed by Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975; active 1912-1939) and purchased by Lady F…
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Traditional dress from East Asia
Traditional clothing from the East Asian countries of Japan, China and Korea tends to conceal the form of the body.…
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Designing stage costumes
A much-repeated cliché is that theatre costumes are badly made, tawdry, unfinished and don’t bear close inspection.…
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Caring for & wearing historic costumes
A guide to caring for and wearing historic costumes.
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Kimono today
Since the end of the Second World War western-style clothing has been the everyday wear of most Japanese. The older…
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Exhibition – Hollywood Costume
The V&A's autumn exhibition, 'Hollywood Costume', explores the central role costume design plays in cinema storytelling. Bringing together over 100 of the most iconic movie costumes from across a century of film-making, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the clothes worn by unforgettable and beloved characters such as Dorothy Gale, Indiana Jones, Scarlett O'Hara, Jack Sparrow, Holly Golightly and Darth Vader.
Eliza costume by Cecil Beaton for 'My Fair Lady, 1958
Cecil Beaton's costume designs for 'My Fair Lady' added immeasurably to the success of Lerner and Lowe's musical both in New York and London.
Patty costume by Wilhelm for 'The Pretty Prentice', 1916
This costume for the character of Patty was designed for a production of 'The Pretty Prentice' ballet by Adeline Genée & D G MacLennan, performed at the London Coliseum, 1916.
Vendice costume by Christopher Morley for 'The Revenger's Tragedy', 1966
The production of The Revenger’s Tragedy in 1966, for which this costume was made, ensured Trevor Nunn’s job at the Royal Shakespeare Company after a disastrous start to his directing career.
Huntswoman costume by Lila de Nobili for 'Sleeping Beauty', 1968
This costume was designed Lila de Nobili for The Royal Ballet in 1968, an unenviable task following Oliver Messel's iconic 1946 production.
A gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
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Costume design for Anna Pavlova (Custom print)
Costume design for Anna Pavlova in Oriental Fantasy by Leon Bakst (A4 Satin print)
Buy nowEvent - Hollywood Costume
Sat 20 October 2012–Sun 27 January 2013
EXHIBITION: Hollywood Costume is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see over 100 of the most iconic costumes in the history of film-making.
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