Fashion fans get your diaries ready, for if the V&A's McQueen exhibition wasn't enough to quench your cultural thirst there are three new must-see exhibitions you need on your radar this summer.
Staying with the Victoria & Albert, one of my favourite establishments in London, Shoes: Pleasure & Pain opened last week and runs until next January, so there's no excuse to miss it. The exhibit explores the transformative power of extreme footwear and the agonising aspect of wearing shoes, as well as the euphoria and obsession they can inspire. With more than 250 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes on display from around the world, some for the first time, the museum's unrivalled collection - spanning some 2000 years - has been delved into by curator Helen Persson along with other international collections and the wardrobes of private individuals. The result is a showcase of shoes from ancient Egypt to the futuristic, including examples from high profile names such as Marilyn Monroe and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as famo
us shoes such as the ballet slippers designed for Moira Shearer in the 1948 film The Red Shoes. A must for any footwear fanatic.
At the V&A Museum until 31st January 2016. Tickets £12.
www.vam.ac.uk
Zandra Rhodes' Fashion & Textile Museum is embracing Riviera Style this summer with a new exhibition celebrating fashion at its most fun. From the English seaside to the Côte d’Azur via California, swimsuits and sarongs, brightly patterned beach cover-ups, boat neck Bretons and beach pyjamas, palazzo pants and playsuits, bikinis and burkinis are featured in this exhibit, showcasing over 100 years of clothes for leisure. Riviera Style brings together a diverse range of clothing worn in and by the sea. A key feature of the items selected is the importance of fabric, from early examples to produce the perfect fabric that didn’t bag or sag when wet, to more recent technical developments designed to improve fit and increase speed in the water.
At the Fashion & Textile Museum until 13th September. Tickets from £5.50. www.ftmlondon.org
Image: La Plage de Calvi, Corse, 1928 (Colour Litho) Broders, Roger (1883-1953) Private Collection Photo
Finally, my personal favourite, I can't wait for Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon to open at the National Portrait Gallery next week. This fascinating photographic exhibition will illustrate the life of my favourite actress, from her early years as a chorus girl in London’s West End through to her philanthropic work in later life. With more than seventy images, including iconic shots and classic and rarely-seen prints from some of the 20th century's greatest photographers, the exhibit will also include vintage magazine covers, film stills, and extraordinary archival material will complete her captivating story.
At the National Portrait Gallery, July 2nd - October 15th. Tickets from £7.50. www.npg.org.uk
Love Laurel x
