The Body Adorned: Dressing London

The Body Adorned exhibition reveals how a diverse population clothe and adorn their bodies to find their place in the metropolis. Over time, saris, tattoo parlours, nail bars, distended ears and scarification have become a visible, everyday part of the London cityscape. But how did cultural adornments become integrated into urban London life?

The exhibition considers how the movement of people, objects and ideas influenced London dress in the past and explores body adornment in today’s world city of London.

Ultimately we invite you to look at how you dress your body and why.

The exhibition features hundreds of stunning objects from the Horniman’s collections including adorned figures, early tattooing instruments and headdresses, a film installation by The Light Surgeons, several wardrobes of London residents exploring why they wear what they wear and urban street portraits taken by young people.