The golden age of couture
The overnight success of Dior's couture house, launched in 1947 post-war austerity, saw a decade of high-end fashion known as the 'golden age'
Fashion
Plan a visitSpanning five centuries, our Fashion collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dress in the world. Key items in the collection include rare 17th century gowns, 18th century ‘mantua’ dresses, 1930s eveningwear, 1960s daywear and post-war couture.
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The collection is particularly strong from the 18th century onwards, containing mainly European fashion and accessories for men and women, together with important items of 19th century dress for the elite in India, China and Japan. The collection also includes a wide range of accessories from across the world, including footwear and hats.
Exploring Fashion
Hat, Simone Mirman, about 1955, London. Museum no. T.351-1985. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Evening dress, Cristóbal Balenciaga, about 1955, Paris, France. Museum no. T.427-1967. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Man's suit, Mr Fish, about 1968. Museum no. T.310 & A-1979. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Pair of overshoes, 1550 – 1070 BC, Egypt. Museum no. 865 & A-1903. From Major Myers collection. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Mantua, 1755-60, England. Museum no. T.592:1-199. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Plato's Atlantis, Alexander McQueen, 2010, London. Museum no. T.11-2010. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Learn more about Fashion
Art Deco fashion
From Jeanne Lanvin's haute couture to the bold geometric jewellery of Raymond Templier, discover the Art Deco aesthetic in the fashions of the 1920s and 1930s
BLITZ magazine and the tale of 22 denim jackets
Discover era-defining style magazine BLITZ and their designer denim jacket project
X-raying the Fashion collection
Find out how we're shedding new light on our Fashion collections through the illuminating mode of X-ray
The future of fashion
As the fashion industry continues to plunder the earth's resources, innovators are striving to find alternative production processes
The fashion show
Discover the origins of the catwalk show
An arctic goose down padded petticoat
Keeping the wearer warm has always been one of underwear’s roles
The thong
Created in reaction to Los Angeles’ ban on nude public swimming in 1974
The design process: interviews with Agent Provocateur, FiFi Chachnil and La Perla
From creation to catwalk - discover the design process of three leading fashion brands
X-raying Balenciaga
Discover the hidden interior structures of iconic garments by Cristóbal Balenciaga, revealed through beautiful X-rays
The 'Babydoll' slip by Carine Gilson
Lingerie designer, Carine Gilson discusses the design process behind the 'Babydoll' slip featured in the exhibition
Designing for the bride
Gareth Pugh, Pam Hogg and Philip Treacy discuss bespoke bridal commissions
Ocean liner fashion: a socialite's guide
Find out why dressing for an ocean voyage was "the acid test of true chic"
Balenciaga's sequinned evening coat
Recreating the beautiful hot-pink beading and sequin work of Balenciaga's 1967 evening coat.
Secrets of Balenciaga's construction
Animated dress patterns show how three of Balenciaga's iconic designs were constructed, revealing his mastery of pattern cutting, draping and manipulation of fabrics.
How Arts and Crafts influenced fashion
How did the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement influence the design and manufacture of clothes, accessories and jewellery?
Revealing hidden structures through x-rays
Discover the internal structures of a hat, stays, and a hood - three historic objects from the exhibition, Fashioned from Nature
Fashioned from the animal kingdom
Working with colleagues at the Natural History Museum, London, we explore some of the materials used to create fashion that are drawn from the natural world
Fashion inspired by the natural world
Discover more about how nature has provided a rich source of inspiration for fashion over the centuries
Making an entrance – ocean liner style
The glamour of first-class travel is brought to life for the exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed and Style
Knitted eveningwear
Discover how knitted fabrics have created glamorous evening dresses through the 20th century and beyond
Fashion in Motion: Yohji Yamamoto
Yohji Yamamoto presented both menswear and womenswear pieces from his archive modelled by real-life London couples
Pollution: the dark side of fashion
Despite using the natural world as a source book, the fashion industry's processes and practices harm environments, ecosystems and human communities globally
