Little Black Dress Exhibition
London’s Fashion & Textile Museum Celebrates the Iconic LBD
If you happen to be in London during the summer, then anyone with a passing interest in fashion should treat themselves to a visit to the latest exhibition at the London Fashion and Textile Museum to experience a slice of fashion history, in celebration of the little black dress.
The quintessential little black dress needs no introduction in terms of its iconic status in the fashion world. No other dress has had such an effect on women’s lives. That fail-safe of short dresses which will rescue from you from any fashion dilemma, dress it up or dress it down, it will take you from one end of the fashion scale to another. Elegant and unshowy, yet sexy at the same time, the little black dress serves as a blank canvas for your own individual style.
Be it a simple shift, toga-style, or a runchy ruffled number, this go-anywhere, most stylish of dresses is loved for its versatility and sex appeal. Hemlines may fluctuate, cuts may come and go, but find a little black dress that fits like a glove and boosts your confidence, and you’ll be wearing it for years to come.
The Most Useful Item in Your Wardrobe
Just by updating your fashion accessories or changing your shoes, you can alter its look. Add a pair of vertiginous shoes or a colorful bag, and you have a new creation. According to “The Little Black Dress” the Daily Mail’s article of 17 October, 2003, “this icon of style is the most useful item a woman is likely to have in her wardrobe.”
Audrey Hepburn's Fashion Moment
One of the little black dress’s greatest,historical fashion moments was Audrey Hepburn, playing Holly Golightly in the ‘60s movie, Breakfast at Tiffanys. The image of Hepburn looking stylish and sophisticated in pearls and her Givenchy shift has remained in our hearts and minds as the ultimate little black dress.
This icon of fashion has also worked its magic on many women; including one of Britain’s favorite actresses, Joanna Lumley. Accoring to the Daily Mail her favorite Jean Muir dress, “transformed her life utterly.”
Little Black Dress Exhibition
From 20th June – 25th August 2008, the Fashion and Textile Museum pays tribute to this powerful fashion phenomenon, from its inception in the 1920s to the red carpets and catwalks of today.
Now known affectionately as the LBD, through the century the little black dress has remain a classic wardrobe staple, ever since Coco Chanel first showcased her simple jersey dress in 1926. From her featured pages of American Vogue, fashion history was made, and the LBD has worked its magic ever since. Chanel’s intention was to create a dress in a neutral color that was long-lasting, versatile and affordable by appealing to the widest market possible, making it accessible to all social classes.
Against a backdrop designed by award-winning film, stage and set designer Michael Howell, the exhibition also showcases famous dresses of the stars such as the LBD worn by Victoria Beckham in her style-guide for fashionistas, “That Extra Half Inch, " and Osman Yousefzada's modern interpretation on the LBD worn by Thandie Newton.
The little black dress has continues to played an important part in women’s lives today and has become the symbol of women of taste the world over.
The exhibition at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum, Bermonsey Street, commences on Friday 20th June 2008 and runs throughout the summer. For more information please visit ftmlondon.org, the museum's website.
