The hardest-working item in your wardrobe is being honoured with an exhibition
Jean Paul Gaultier. Image: Rex Shutterstock
We don’t know a woman who doesn’t have her failsafe little black dress, ready for any occasion. It’s a wardrobe staple, perfect for any event, and the ultimate in easy glamour - and now, it’s getting its own exhibition.
Launching in June 2020, Little Black Dress is a major new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, which will examine the history of this iconic garment in high fashion and consider the role it has played in society over the decades.
The concept of the little black dress came into fruition back in 1926, when Coco Chanel designed a simple, short black dress described by US Vogue as ‘the frock that all the world will wear’ - and nearly a century on, a LBD remains an essential in every woman’s wardrobe.
Juxtaposing classic pieces with cutting-edge examples, the Little Black Dress exhibition will explore themes ranging from fetishism and rebellion, to piety and witchcraft, and will pose the question: ‘What’s next for the little black dress?’.
On display will be 60 striking looks, drawn from the National Museums Scotland’s fashion collection, international museum collections and private lenders. The collection will include vintage Chanel and Dior examples, as well as contemporary designs from Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane and Comme des Garcons.
Georgina Ripley, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Fashion and Textiles at National Museums Scotland said: “Few garments are as iconic as the little black dress, which has often been held up by the fashion industry as the one piece every woman should have in her wardrobe. It has evolved dramatically in the century since its creation. From a simple shift dress which helped democratise women’s fashion to a bold political statement, it has moved through various iterations which reflect changing ideals of beauty and body image. Displaying classic early pieces, sumptuous couture and examples of cutting-edge technology, this exhibition will explore its enduring success, and ask why, in the fickle and fast-paced fashion world, the little black dress has achieved that rare status of being truly above the fray.”
The exhibition launches on Friday 26 June 2020, and runs until 25 October 2020. Grab your little black dress, and we’ll see you there!