LONDON — Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane, three of the most celebrated British fashion designers of our time, will take part in the upcoming exhibition honoring the fashion legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth in London.
The show, “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” will mark 100 years since she was born on April 21, 1926, and will be the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of her fashion ever mounted.
It will open at the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace on April 10, with tickets going on sale from Tuesday on the official website of the Royal Collection Trust.
The show will feature around 200 items, half of which will be on display for the first time, as well as one piece from Moralioglu, Quinn and Kane from their past collections, respectively. Each ensemble will be shown alongside a related item from the late British monarch’s fashion archive.
The three designers will also share their reflections on the queen’s fashion legacy in the official centenary publication, which also features a tribute by Anna Wintour and an essay by Amy de la Haye, professor of dress history and curatorship at the London College of Fashion.
Moralioglu described the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth II as “a snapshot of a very long life, a life of duty, and in so many ways it’s a time capsule. It captures a very specific and important moment in history.”
Quinn, who is the winner of the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in 2018, said the queen’s style and promotion of British couture over the past 90 years had a huge impact on British fashion.
“The ultimate stamp of approval, she always shone a light on British designers, highlighting the relevance and significance of British fashion across the world,” he added.
Kane hailed the queen’s wardrobe as one of the most significant living archives in modern fashion history.
“From the decline of the court dressmaker to the rise of couturiers like Hartnell and Hardy Amies, her garments tell the story of Britain and its changing identity through fashion. For designers and students, it offers a masterclass in silhouette, construction, repetition, symbolism and, perhaps most importantly, restraint,” the Scottish designer added.
According to organizers, the exhibition is to illustrate the story of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch through the clothing she wore throughout her life, “from birth to adulthood, from princess to queen and from off-duty style to diplomatic dressing for the global stage.”
On show for the first time will also include one of the earliest surviving pieces of couture from her childhood wardrobe: the silver lamé and tulle bridesmaid dress, designed by Edward Molyneux, that she wore aged eight for the 1934 wedding of her uncle, the Duke of Kent, to Princess Marina of Greece.
Visitors will also see gowns designed by Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies, as well as the fluid, printed dresses by Ian Thomas that capture the boho glamour of the 1970s.