London Fashion Exhibitions: on now
Tim Walker: Wonderful Things, V&A
British photographer Tim Walker’s ethereal dreamscapes and idiosyncratic fairy-tales have entranced imaginations worldwide ever since he shot his very first fashion story for Vogue at the age at 25. Now, thirteen years later, the V&A has staged the third solo exhibition of the inimitable British fashion photographer, and it's a masterpiece.His famous subjects, often rendered almost unrecognisable by Pierrot-like make-up, are captured mid-movement, their momentum thrumming through the frame.
Comparatively, his portraiture is stark and restrained, a direct communication between subject and artist, but no less powerful for it. With this ability to create a visual narrative, it’s little wonder that Walker was chosen as the subject of a new exhibition by the V&A. Tim Walker: Wonderful Things comes hot off the success of The V&A’s record-breaking Dior retrospective,
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, V&A
The V&A is to stage an exhibition exploring a treasured Japanese symbol - the kimono. Beginning with the aesthetic and social significance of its twentieth century origins in Japan, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk will trace the garment's history and challenge the notion that it is traditional, timeless and unchanging.
29 February 2020 - 21 June 2020
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Bags: Inside Out, V&A
How did the humble bag move from functional object to coveted fashion accessory, bearing the names of French fashion models and Monégasque royalty? This new exhibition will weave together a story of design and craftsmanship through 300 objects dating from the 16th century to the modern day. We will see bags worn by both men and women; those designed to conceal items, to show off, to be dangled from fingers, and those designed to transport entire wardrobes. This rich sartorial history will reveal how bags have functioned as both a symbol of privacy and ostentation, adornment and utility.
29 February 2020 - 21 June 2020
Lagerfeld: The Chanel Show, The Four Seasons Large scale prints of Simon Procter behind-the-scenes images of Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel will be displayed within the Rotunda Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel London for three months, including some never-before-seen artworks. Expect an up-close portrait of Lagerfeld himself as well as a portal to the fantasy worlds he built for his collections.
There will be limited edition artworks available to view and purchase in an adjacent gallery for the duration of the exhibition, prices start from £5,500, as well as signed copies of Procter's book.
When: 18 March 2020 - 20 June 2020
Where: Four Seasons Hotel, London
How and why did cushion-soled, comfortable sports shoes go from commuters' dirty secret in the 80s to the highly prized style icon of today, sparking instant sell-outs, round-the-block queues and online bidding wars?
This evolution will be explored in the Design Museum's forthcoming spring 2020 exhibition: Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street, which opens on 6 May. Examining everything from product design to 'Sneakerhead' collectors and the associated subculture, the exhibition will help make sense of the shoe style that has gone from functional to high fashion in mere decades.
When: 6 May 2020 - 6 September 2020
Where: Design Museum
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Beautiful People: The Boutique in 1960s Counterculture, Fashion & Textile Museum
In the mid-1960s a handful of Chelsea boutiques sparked a fashion revolution. Freed and fuelled by creative exploration and experimentation, they began selling radical clothing to the counterculture youth. Their outrageously flamboyant designs were inspired by romantic ideas of the past; Byron-esque frilled shirts were paired with Regency brocades and plush velvet trousers were mixed with influences from Morocco and the Far East. They blurred gender boundaries with increasingly androgynous styles, creating an explosion of colour, pattern and decoration.
Beautiful People explores fabulous and rare examples from these era-defining stores and designers, examining the shared free spirit of Granny Takes A Trip, Hung On You, Apple, Biba, Mr Fish, Thea Porter, Ossie Clark and more. Clothes worn by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix will be displayed as part of recreations of these famed boutiques.
When: 3 July 2020 - 4 October 2020
Where: Fashion & Textile Museum
Prada. Front and Back, Design Museum, London 2020
Prada is one of the most famous fashion brands in the world, desired by intellectuals and logo lovers alike for its provocative aesthetic and luxurious accessories. As head of the brand, Miuccia Prada has built an empire on her unique creative approach and aligned herself, and her brand, with some of the most illustrious art-world figures.
So an upcoming exhibition that will offer 'unprecedented insight into Prada’s creative approach, inspirations and landmark collaborations' is sure to be a big hit among the London fashion crowd.
When: Opens September 2020
Find out more here
