Fashion/art & design review: Hollywood Costume
20 October 2012 – 13 January 2013
Victoria & Albert Museum
20 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Victoria & Albert Museum – map
Review by: Alexa Williamson
Rating: ***** (out of 5)
So, how does one start a review of one of the quirkiest, most exciting and beautiful shows this year? How about, simply, with “wow”! A lot of arresting exhibitions have come to London this year – from the dramatic works of Edvard Munch (Tate Modern) to the current, passionate statement of 19th century British art, Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde over at Tate Britain, to Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 (also on at the V & A), to The Wild, The Beautiful and The Damned (which was at Hampton Court Palace until 30 September) and even the exciting Tim Walker: Story Teller fashion photography exhibition currently on at Somerset House.
However, after going and seeing the huge, the elegant, the bold, proud and exciting extravaganza that is Hollywood Costume, the Victoria & Albert Museum proves that they are probably the London leader when it comes to creating innovative exhibitions and displays. With over 100 memorable film costumes on display, wild spotlighting and unique music, being at the Hollywood Costume exhibition is like going to a film premier! And thanks to the well-written information, film segments and actors’ images also on display with the costumes, it is like the people who wore the costume are almost there with you too!
Hollywood Costume is a huge and glamourous exhibition that is more fun and exquisite (the detail on the costumes is amazing!) than you can imagine until you get there. If there were actually people in the costumes you would say “everyone who is anyone is here”. How the V & A was able to choose and get all of the wonderful history, character and colour into a reasonably sized space, and make each costume and display attention-holding and sparklingly wonderful, should truly win an award.
The exhibition does many things but three of the main things it does are to a) bring in to your present some of the most famous costumes that were ever worn on a film screen, b) give you information about each piece, its wearer, designer, history of creation (and post-creation history) and film that it was in, c) help you learn what it is like to design costumes, introduce themes about older film costuming techniques versus modern techniques and d) interweave opinions from actors on what it was like to work with various designers (as well as quotations from designers on what it is like work with various actors, filmmakers and the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind their costuming for a certain film or star).
There are so many stunning pieces on display in this exhibition that every room is a treat and you don’t want the exhibition to end. Everything on view is “famous”. You will find (and at the moment I am jumping in and out of famous films and time periods): Marilyn Monroe‘s tiny, simple and delicate ivory rayon crepe dress by Travilla (1955) for The Seven Year Itch; Judy Garland‘s 1939 simple blue and white checked cotton Dorothy dress from The Wizard of Oz, by Adrian (and her ruby slippers which are larger and simpler than I would expected); various dresses worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (including a gorgeous scarlet velvet evening gown by Walter Plunkett, 1939); Indiana Jones archetype outfit with leather jacket, hat and more; clothes worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger for The Terminator 3 (Rise of the Machines); Darth Vader’s black suit and mask from Star Wars; a modern Batman costume from The Dark Knight rises designed by Linda Hemming for Christian Bale; numerous Elizabethan and French court dresses; Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Keanu Reeve’s simple black outfit and long black jacket from The Matrix; Charlie Chaplin’s the little tramp outfit from the film The Circus; John Travolta’s famous white suit from Saturday Night Fever (by Patrizia Von Brandenstein, 1977); costumes from the 2012 production of Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley; Helena Bonham Carter’s Lucy Honeychurch dress from the 1985 Merchant Ivory film Room with a View; Hedy Lamarr’s amazing 1949 peacock feather outfit from the film Samson and Delilah; Audrey Hepburn (Eliza Dolittle) and Rex Harrison (Henry Higgins)’s costumes by Cecil Beaton for the 1964 version of My Fair Lady; Barbara Streisand’s gorgeous purple chiffon flower and beaded dress, by Irene Sharaff, for the 1968 movie Funny Girl (in which Streisand played Fanny Brice); John Belushi and Dan Akcroyd’s simple but cool and effective black suits and hats from the 1980 film The Blues Brothers; Harry Potter school uniforms and much more.
The exhibition is indeed an A-list outing and worth the time, money and effort to go! Once you get there you are whisked in to an amazing world of colour and beauty and the exhibition can do all of the talking needed to explain itself more than these words!
This is a one-off chance to see so many beautiful costumes, which are usually in private collections (or elsewhere) all around the globe – so if you love fashion, art, modern and unique exhibitions and being surrounded by glamour don’t miss it! And, maybe, it’s also a quick and easy way to “almost” be on a movie set – ah, the vibe, flutter and ingenuity of this exhibit are, indeed, matchless!
Further information:
Hollywood Costume (Victoria and Albert Museum official site)
Victoria and Albert Museum (Official site)
The London Reviewer 