The Most Stylish of Queens
This autumn, the V&A will unveil Marie Antoinette Style, the United Kingdom’s first major exhibition devoted to the queen whose name has become synonymous with fashion. Opening on September 20th, the show—sponsored by Manolo Blahnik—brings together more than 250 objects to trace the origins, reinventions, and enduring allure of Marie Antoinette’s aesthetic.
Portrait of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, in a court dress. Oil painting by François Hubert Drouais, 1773. (© Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
Rarely seen outside of Versailles, personal treasures such as the queen’s silk slippers, jewels from her private collection, and the final note she wrote before her execution will be displayed alongside furniture, porcelain, and intimate effects from her Petit Trianon. These historic objects are set in dialogue with couture by Dior, Chanel, Moschino, Erdem, and Vivienne Westwood; Manolo Blahnik’s shoes for Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette; and film costumes that have helped recast her image for new generations.
Moschino show, Runway, Fall Winter 2020, Milan Fashion Week, Italy - 20 Feb 2020. (Photo: PIXELFORMULA/SIPA/Shutterstock)
Overall, the exhibition—which will be on display through March 22, 2026—will explore Marie Antoinette as both a woman of her time and an early modern celebrity whose influence on fashion and popular culture has lasted more than 250 years. “The most fashionable, scrutinised and controversial queen in history, Marie Antoinette’s name summons both visions of excess and objects and interiors of great beauty,” said Sarah Grant, Curator of Marie Antoinette Style. She continues, “The rare combination of glamour, spectacle, and tragedy she presents remains as intoxicating today as it was in the 18th century.”
Dress, 'robe de style', white organza with artificial flowers, France
(© Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
Antonietta, 2005 by Manolo Blahnik.
Film still from Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette.
(Photo courtesy of I WANT CANDY LLC. and Zoetrope Corp.)