City guides

Glamorous Exhibition Opens at Kensington Palace Gardens

1st October 2013 A visit down the memory lane of fashion is on display at Kensington Palace Gardens in London, with a beautiful exhibition of dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth 11, Princess Margaret, and Diana, Princess of Wales. What the royal icons wore from the 1950’s through the 1980’s is illustrated with glamorous designs from their wardrobes. Normal Hartnell and Hardy Amies, favourites of The Queen, are represented with dresses in luxurious fabrics with nipped in waists – a defining motif of the 1950’s. Designs for Princess Margaret by Marc Bohan at Dior, and couture creations for Diana, Princess of Wales, by Bruce Oldfield and Catherine Walker are also featured. Photographs and film clips from the period make this a delightful nostalgic experience, as it traces style innovations during these decades. Exhibition continues through summer 2015. www.hrp.org.uk JG

Supreme Style Statement

1st September 2013 It’s indispensable – the backbone of the stylish woman’s wardrobe. And now the Little Black Dress (LBD) merits its own celebration. The Mona Bismarck American Center for Art and Culture in Paris is the venue for a delightful exhibition of statement Little Black Dresses by international designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and others. Presented by the Museum of Art at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), the curator of the show is the peripatetic style maven and VOGUE Contributing Editor André Léon Talley. “The exhibition highlights the strength of individualism,” says Talley, and he also praises the Little Black Dress for its versatility, glamour and grace.

With so many delectable LBD’s on display, it’s easy to understand the allure of this contemporary phenomenon. A must see! Until 22 September 2013. www.monabismarck.org JG

Photos: Top photo: Marc Jacobs silk dress Autumn 2012 Photo credit: courtesy of Rachel Feinstein, New York.  Photo credit Oscar de la Renta: Savannah College of Art and Design

Dior and the Impressionists

1st July 2013 Christian Dior’s family home in the French seaside town of Granville, was an inspiration for his work throughout his life. Villa “Les Rhumbs” now the Christian Dior Museum, presents an intriguing exhibition this summer that links Impression art with Dior’s creations. The enchanting surroundings of “Les Rhumbs” with its garden overlooking the sea, echoes the “alfresco” – open-air ideal – of Impressionist artists that notably influenced Dior’s fashion creations. Above: Rose Pompon, silk chiffon dress printed with roses. Dior Haute Couture collection, spring-summer, S/S 1952, Sineuse line. Copyright: Laziz Hamani 

There is an exceptional array of loans from prominent museums, including Musée d’Orsay, Musée Galliera, Musée Marmottan-Monet and Musée des Arts Décoratifs. In addition, there are splendid items from private Dior collectors. The exhibition establishes a dialogue between more than 70 dresses, plus a selection of masterpieces from Impressionist painters themselves, ranging from Monet to Degas, Renoir to Berthe Morisot. In conjunction with the exhibition, Rizzoli has published Impressions Dior by Florence Müller, fashion historian and curator of the exhibition. Impressions Dior continues through 22nd September 2013. www.musee-dior-granville.com JG