“Dress Codes” explores how the clothing codes of the royal family and the court have influenced, and continue to influence, fashion.
Until November, in Kensington Palace, it is staged Dress codesthe exhibition that explores how the clothing codes of the royal family and the court have influenced – and continue to influence – the fashion and habits of all of us.
Iconic clothes and treasures never seen before
The exhibition celebrates the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, one of the largest and most precious collections of ceremonial and court clothes, which covers over 500 years of history and is kept by the independent Historic Royal Palaces Foundation.
The exhibition thus makes some of the most representative garments of the British monarchy available to the public, but also less known treasures, such as clothes worn by courtiers, debutants, members of the royal staff and even ordinary citizens on the occasion of public events dedicated to the royal family.
Fashion as language
Dress codes reflects on how clothing signs key moments of our life – weddings, mourning, public ceremonies – and becomes a means of expressing belonging, status and personality. An emblematic example is the Damascus brown wedding dress, with tiara and combined shoes, never exposed before, made by Madame Handley Seymour for the honorable Ursula Mary Lawley in 1927, in the presence of King Giorgio V and Queen Mary.
From Elisabetta II to Diana: the garments that made history
Also on display clothes worn by members of the royal family known for their distinctive style. The twin clothes in Liberty Flower Cotton worn in 1936 by the small Elisabetta and Margaret, a rare black bodice of the young Queen in mourning, and numerous outfits of Princess Diana, including a tuxedo dress in green velvet of Catherine Walker and a brilliant red dress of Bruce Oldfield, showed off in 1936.
For the first time, a 1978 Thea Porter complete with Princess Margaret, together with an embroidered dress by the designer Filipino Jose Pitoy Moreno, is also exhibited to the public.
The Duke of Windsor and the evolution of men’s fashion
There is also a section dedicated to the Duke of Windsor, known for his pioneering role in modern male style. Among the exposed garments, a 1897 Tartan Rothesay dress, modified with the addition of a zip, and a tweed suit that reflects its concept of “dress soft”, in the name of comfort and informal elegance.
Between past and present: contemporary fashion
The exhibition puts the past in dialogue with the present, thanks to new contemporary purchases, such as the polka dot dress worn by Vivienne Westwood in 2006 on the occasion of the appointment in Dame. The dress, together with the hat and a “rebellious” tiara, was lent by the maison to tell the influence of his iconic style.
Among other modern leaders: a Sherwani with golden embroidery worn by Sir Aziz Sheikh for his investiture in 2023 and the blue dress with yellow earrings chosen by Dame Melinda Simmons, former ambassador in the United Kingdom in Ukrainian, in homage to the country’s flag.
Young producers and the future of fashion
One last room of the exhibition is dedicated to contemporary fashion reinterpreted by the youngest. For the first time, Historic Royal Palaces involved three local youth groups in a creative project that lasted one year, which saw 25 boys between 14 and 17 years of age working as “Young Producers”. The result are new creations, inspired by the garments of the royal collection, created through fashion, music and storytelling workshops.
As the curator Matthew Storey explained: “Working with the Young Producers showed us how rich and significant are the stories related to these clothes – from staff to the politician – and how they can still inspire the creativity of the new generations”. An exhibition that, once again, confirms Kensington Palace as a symbol of royal fashion ».
