Bath lace exhibition and more!
Step into a world of style and elegance at the Lace in Fashion exhibition in Bath
Lace has always been a fashion staple, made even more popular over the decades by the likes of Grace Kelly and the Duchess of Cambridge who both wore lace to walk down the aisle. It’s no wonder then that The Fashion Museum in Bath, home to a world-class collection of historic dresses in the city’s magnificent Assembly Rooms, has now opened an exhibition dedicated entirely to lace. Featuring everything from gloves and undergarments to wedding dresses, dating from the 1500s to the present day, the exhibition reveals the techniques and top names that have made lace such an enduring trend. The exhibition has been put together with the help of expert volunteers from the Lace Guild, who’ve helped celebrate the astonishing skill behind lace’s journey from craft to catwalk. And it’s incredible to see just how far back the fiddly lace technique dates. The oldest object in the exhibition is a smock dating from 1580 with Flemish bobbin lace beautifully stitched onto the sleeves and collars – a really rare beauty to admire. Other unusual items from the Museum’s Aladdin’s cave of treasures include a silver tissue dress from the 1660s trimmed with parchment lace, delicately made using tiny strips of parchment or paper wrapped in silk. Lace has undoubtedly had its fair share of famous admirers over the years and the exhibition celebrates some of the celebrities and royalty who’ve helped make lace such an iconic style staple. See if you can spot the Norman Hartnell designs especially made for lace-lover Queen Elizabeth II, or Lea Seydoux’s navy blue lace dress that lit up the screen in the James Bond film Spectre. While you’re at the museum, don’t forget to pop into the other exhibition, A History of Fashion in 100 Objects, which displays outfits that have shaped our wardrobe over the past 400 years, from Regency fashions Jane Austen would have worn to Christian Dior shoes.
Lace in Fashion is open until January 1, 2018. For more information, call 01225 477789 or visit www.fashionmuseum.co.uk