The V&A’s Fashion collection features items from some of the most influential designers and fashion houses of the 20th and 21st centuries. Designs in the collections hail from across the globe, with a particular emphasis on British and European labels.
Cristóbal Balenciaga
Born in the Basque region of Spain, Balenciaga was apprenticed to a tailor from the age of twelve. In 1914 he opened the House of Balenciaga in San Sebastian, where most of…
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Pierre Cardin
Cardin was born in Venice to French parents and educated in France. After training as a tailor, he worked for two Paris design houses, Paquin and Schiaparelli.
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Caroline Charles
After graduating from art school, Caroline Charles began an internship with couturier Michael Sherrard, before working for Mary Quant and fashion photographer Tony Rawlinso…
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André Courrèges
Courrèges graduated in engineering before studying fashion and textile design. He worked for Balenciaga for ten years, which allowed him to develop great skill in cutting g…
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Mr Fish
Men's fashions during the 19th and 20th centuries were often conservative and dull in comparison to women's. The 1960s saw the 'peacock revolution', a high point of flamboy…
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Marion Foale & Sally Tuffin
Determined not to make 'elderly clothes' for an established manufacturer, Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin set up their own business in 1961.
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Barbara Hulanicki and Biba
Hulanicki worked as a fashion illustrator after studying at Brighton art college in the late 1950s. She opened a mail order clothing company with her husband, 'Biba's Posta…
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Gerald McCann
On graduating from the Royal College of Art Gerald McCann achieved great success on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Alexander McQueen
London born and educated, dubbed 'enfant terrible' by the fashion press, Alexander McQueen became one of the youngest designers to achieve the title ‘British Designer of th…
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Jean Muir
From 1950 Jean Muir worked as a seller and fashion sketcher for Liberty's in London and was then employed as a designer by Jaeger.
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Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1964. The daughter of a fashion instructor, she is renowned for her unconventional clothes and pink hair. Intereste…
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Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent (1936 - 2008) spent his childhood in Algeria. He was precociously talented, winning first prize for a cocktail dress in the 1953 International Wool Secre…
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Emanuel Ungaro
Ungaro was born in Aix-en-Provence to Italian parents. He learnt tailoring by working for his father, then set off for Paris to start up on his own. Here he became friends …
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Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace (1946–1997) is one of the most colourful and talented designers of the late 20th-century. Versace was born in Reggio Calabria in Southern Italy. His first in…
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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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Tokyo Fashion Graphics
Fashion trends can change overnight, presenting a unique challenge for designers and advertisers. The promotion of a brand's image has to reflect curr…
Buy nowEvent - Susan Rumfitt: Wearing 20th Century Jewellery
Mon 24 June 2013 18:30
Jewellery has been an essential fashion accessory throughout the twentieth century and has close links with designers including Chanel, Dior and Versace.
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