Time/Date -
Friday 26 March - Sunday 7 November
The fashion exhibition, entitled “Grand Designers”, will highlight many of the finest fashion designers in the Ulster Museum collection and is part of the wider re-hang of the top floor art galleries which will see over 170 works of Irish and international artists from the Ulster Museum’s permanent collection.
Pictured left is the Ulster Museum’s Applied Art Curator responsible for fashion and jewellery, Elise Taylor, preparing a 2004 Eley Kishimoto design ahead of the opening, click image to enlarge.
‘Grand Designers’ will display costume from 1900 to the present day – beginning with a beautiful yellow velvet ball gown.
Stylish outfits by designers such as Chanel, Dior and Balmain are shown alongside a Mary Quant mini of the 1960s and an Ossie Clark snakeskin maxi of the 70s. The glamour of Versace and Dolce and Gabbana also feature in the new exhibition.
While the Ulster Museum was closed for refurbishment, designer fashion continued to be added to the museum’s extensive collection with current trends represented by Vivienne Westwod, Cavalli and the late Alexander McQueen.
Elise is pictured right & below left preparing a 1900s Kate Reilly yellow velvet dress, click images to enlarge.
Elise Taylor, the Ulster Museum’s Applied Art Curator, says, “This exhibition provides a fascinating insight into how designers have used their skills to define the fashions of the time.
Our fabulous costume collection has always been extremely popular with our visitors and I’m sure they will be thrilled to see it back in the Museum.”
Download the National Museums' Events and Exhibitions brochure detailing most events from July to December 2010 (PDF 2MB).