On 19th March, The Fashion Museum in Bath will unveil a new exhibition called A History of Fashion in 100 Objects, which will celebrate fashion throughout history.
The exhibition will focus on fashion from the 1500s to the present day, showcasing 100 star objects drawn from the museum’s world-class collection.
A History of Fashion in 100 Objects will feature garments and fashion accessories that have created the defining looks of certain periods of history or hit the headlines over the years.
Some garments on show include a 1500s ‘blackwork’ embroidered man’s shirt dating from the time of the Spanish Armada, and a body-con Galaxy dress from the early 2000s, when the world was facing economic trouble.
One of the oldest fashion garments being showcased is an intricately embroidered woman’s jacket – known at the time as a waistcoat – dating from the time of Shakespeare.
Another embroidered jacket – from 1948 – will also be on display, by Paris couturier Lucien Lelong and worn by film star Vivien Leigh.
The dress of the year
Every year the Fashion Museum welcomes a fashion expert to select a ‘Dress of the Year’ which should represent the year in fashion.
This chosen ensemble becomes part of the collection, and A History of Fashion in 100 Objects will conclude with the picked items for this year – two outfits by British menswear designer Craig Green.
Four collections of fashion accessories will also be showcased at the exhibition, featuring gloves, fans and jewellery. This includes a collection of historic gloves from the 1600s, collected by artist Robert Spence.
Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones, Bath & North East Somerset council’s cabinet member for economic development, commented, “The Fashion Museum is consistently named as one of the world’s top fashion museums. This new exhibition will give local residents and visitors a chance to see some of the finest fashion garments and accessories from the museum’s fabulous collection.”
A History of Fashion in 100 Objects will run until January 2018.
Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more, or smaller groups of up to 15 can book a personal guide.
For more information visit www.fashionmuseum.co.uk.
