Marie Antoinette Style Conference (In-Person)

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Marie Antoinette wasn’t just a queen, she was one of the eighteenth century’s global celebrities. Her image, inseparable from pioneering fashions and extravagant rituals, continues to inspire designers, filmmakers, and artists across centuries. She has become a trope in the sourcebook for literature, theatre, and visual media. Her dramatic fall from grace adds another layer to the legend: a cautionary tale about the disruptive power of fashion and femininity in the political sphere. This conference builds on themes from the acclaimed Marie Antoinette exhibition to ask: Why does her legacy endure? How has it been reinvented through revolutions in politics, consumption, and media?

Bringing together curators, fashion scholars, and creatives, the speakers will trace her influence from the fabrication of courtly style to its global echoes. Expect fresh research on how the fashion industry has revived and repurposed her image and discover how reenactment and digital culture have propelled Marie Antoinette’s aesthetic far beyond the salons of Versailles into the virtual worlds of today.

Please refer to the programme for the full schedule.

Registration

Please register and collect your delegate lanyard before entering the conference. Your lanyard is your access pass, so keep it with you throughout the event. If you lose it, our team will be happy to help you re-register.

Catering

There will be tea and coffee served during morning registration. 
There will be a wine reception with nibbles at the end of the Day 1.

Technology

If you experience any technical issues before and after joining online, please email masconference@vam.ac.uk with a subject line ‘Technical Support’ and describe what support you need. If you need support during the conference, please use the Q&A feature to request for support. 

There will be filming and photography taking place throughout the event. Please notify our staff members if you do not wish to appear in our films and photography.

Please note, there will be no cloakroom available. Please avoid bringing large items, including bags or folding bicycles with you.

The conference will be starting at 10.30 promptly with registration opening at 10.00. The nearest public entrance and exit, which opens between 10.00 – 17.45 is the Exhibition Road entrance and is step-free and has an automatic opening door at the bottom of the walkway. 

 Lifts are available to access the Hochhauser Auditorium, on Level 1, from the Learning Centre on Level 0. Accessible toilets and a gender-neutral toilet are located on Level 0. 

If you require step-free access or have any further questions regarding accessibility, please email accessibility@vam.ac.uk. We ask that requests for step-free access be made at least 24 hours before your visit. If you would like more information about accessibility at V&A South Kensington, please visit https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/disability-access.

If you require a quiet space during any part of the day, please let any members of staff know. You will be directed to a quiet space.