Today opens “Crown To Couture”, the largest fashion exhibition ever staged in Kensington Palace.
What do they have in like Lizzo and King Charles II? Beyoncé with the Georgian court? Lizzo with eighteenth-century debutantes? They are all part of the exhibition Crown To Couture, one of the most awaited fashion events of the year. The exhibition draws a parallel between the nobility of the eighteenth century and the most iconic looks of the red carpet today, showing how the stars continually take inspiration from the royals. If the clothes on display are grandiose, the location is no different: it is the largest exhibition ever staged in Kensington PalaceLondon residence of the princes of WalesWilliam and Kate.
The dresses from the Crown to Couture exhibition
In the magnificent halls and corridors of the palace some of the most famous dresses of the stars are on display, in an ideal connection with the Georgian court and its ceremonies. Fashions have changed, but “power dressing”, the art of dressing to impress and to emphasize one’s status, has remained the same.
Lizzo in Thom Browne
Some of the pieces are real pieces of contemporary pop culture: the golden Peter Dundas dress worn by Beyoncé for the 2017 Grammy Awards, the Oscar De La Renta pink dress by Billie Eilish at the 2021 Met Gala and the “Sun God” look by Billy Porter by The Blonds for the 2019 Met Gala.
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Billie Eilish at the Met Gala 2021
How to visit Kensington Palace
Not surprisingly, the exhibition was curated by Alexander McQueen’s set designer, Joseph Bennett, who built a dialogue between past and present through jewels. The exhibition is open from 5 April to 29 October 2023 and also allows you to admire the State Apartments of Kensington Palace, one of the most fascinating places in the British monarchy. In fact, both Lady Diana and Prince William lived a short distance from those salons with their wife Kate Middleton. However, meeting the princes of Wales will be difficult: last year they moved with their children away from the chaos of London.