Marie Antoinette Style Exhibition at V&A South Kensington
V&A South Kensington opened their highly anticipated exhibition, ‘Marie Antoinette Style’ in this September. The exhibition delves deep into the French Queen’s influence on fashion, design and pop culture.
@urbanadventurerldn [BLOG POST IN BIO] 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑒 𝒜𝓃𝓉𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝓎𝑒 𝐸𝓍𝒽𝒾𝒷𝒾𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 @V&A Museum What to expect: • Original items never seen before in the UK • Items belonged to or worn by Marie Antoinette • An original letter written by the 19-year-old Marie Antoinette • The most expensive diamond necklace ever made in France (Louis V ordered it for Madam du Barry) • Original film costumes worn by Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning • Designer clothes inspired by Marie Antoinette (Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Valentino and more) …and so much more! 📆 Open until 22nd March 2026 📍 V&A South Kensington #marieantoinette #versailles #dior #viviennewestwood #kirstendunst
Marie Antoinette Style
Photo: Urban Adventurer
With over 250 objects, including pieces loaned from Versailles, ‘Marie Antoinette Style’ exhibition is not just the first of its kind in the UK, but also the third to take place outside of France. Some objects have never seen before in the UK.
The exhibition brings all the glitz and glam of the French royal court through a gorgeous collection that includes pieces belonged to Marie Antoinette, clothing, decorative arts and contemporary fashion designer pieces from such brands like Dior, Vivienne Westwood, and Valentino.
There are also costumes on display worn by Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola’s film, ‘Marie Antoinette’ (2006), a court dress worn by Norma Shearer in W.S. Van Dyke’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ in 1939, as well as a gown hat and accessories worn by Elle Fanning in ‘The Great’ Season 3, Episode 3 in 2023.
Maire Antoinette
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Marie Antoinette is the most controversial and fashionable queen in history. Her name summons lavish lifestyle, unimaginable luxury and extravagance.
Marie Antoinette has had an enormous influence on fashion, design, arts, interiors and more.
Although Marie Antoinette was hugely unpopular to the French people (her nickname was Madame Deficit) at her time, she undoubtedly shaped and still shaping our taste through fashion, film, and arts.
This is the design legacy of an early modern celebrity and the story of a woman whose power to fascinate has never ebbed.
Highlights of the Exhibition
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On entering the main exhibition room, the first thing you’ll see is a gorgeous wedding dress, worn by Marie Antoinette’s sister-in-law, Duchess Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta, for her wedding in Versailles in 1773.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Original slippers, worn by Marie Antoinette are also on display.
In her early days in court, she received four new pairs of shoes each week. She quickly mastered the ‘Versailles glide’, a graceful walk that gives the illusion of the feet barely touching the ground.
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This necklace was ordered by Louis XV for his mistress Madam du Barry; however, the king died before the necklace was completed. With diamonds 2,842 carats in total, this necklace was the most expensive ever made on France.
It was later offered to Marie Antoinette who refused.
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Marie Antoinette’s jewellery casket and armchair are also on display. She received the jewellery casket as a wedding gift when she first arrived in France in 1770. The casket is richly decorated with Sèvres floral porcelain plaques, and it has a lockable drawer.
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The armchair encapsulates Marie Antoinette’s late style: white, and gilded Neoclassical schemes and flower decoration. She used this chair in her private dressing room during her final Summers at the Château de Saint-Cloud.
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A letter written by the 19 years old Marie Antoinette to Count Rosenberg, in which she expresses her loneliness and incompatibility with her husband, Louis XVI.
She wrote: “I do not share the King’s taste. He is only interested in hunting and in mechanical work…I know you will agree that I would look quite awkward standing at the forge: I would not make a good Vulcan, and if I were to play the role of Venus, that would bother him far more than my real tastes, which he does not seem to mind.”
Her marriage remained unconsummated for seven years.
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Marie Antoinette was executed on 16th October 1793. In the morning, she sat down to write her final notes into her prayer book. It says: “My God, have pity on me! My eyes have no more tears to cry for you my poor children; adieu, adieu!”
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This medallion contains the hair of Marie Antoinette’s and her younger son, Louis-Charles’s. The light blond in the middle is Louis-Charles’s, while the darker blond encircle around it is her mother’s.
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The guillotine blade is from the French Revolution and is reputed to be the one that beheaded Marie Antoinette. Madame Tussaud’s sons bought it from the grandson of the High Executioner during the French Revolution.
Film Costumes and Designer Clothes
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The final room is dedicated to contemporary clothing, including Dior, Channel, Vivienne Westwood, Valentino, Moschino and more.
In the centre of the room there is the ‘Marquise Masquée’ gown made by John Galliano for Christian Dior. The pastel green gown blends Dior’s timeless glamour while paying tribute to Marie Antoinette’s court dress.
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The two show-stopping cake dresses are from Moschino. They’re a spectacular celebration of Marie Antoinette’s style blended with whimsical modernity and pop culture.
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There are a series of costumes from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film ‘Marie Antionette’.
The Oscar-winning costumes were designed by Milena Canonero and worn by Kirsten Dunst who played Marie Antoinette.
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This costume was worn by Elle Fanning in ‘The Great’ Season 3, Episode 3. ‘The Great’ (2020 – 2023) is a fictional series about the life of Catherine II of Russia.
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Another amazing court dress from the 1939 film ‘Marie Antoinette’ worn by Norma Shearer. Costume designer Gilbert Adrian drew inspiration from Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s portraits of Marie Antoinette which he blended with Hollywood glamour.
Adrian’s fascination with the 18-century fashion extended to his other works, including ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939). You can clearly recognise this influence in Glinda’s dress.
Shop
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The exhibition shop resembles to a lavish dining room in Versailles. The tables are covered with champagne coloured table clothes, and the products are displayed on three tiered trays and arranged as if they were luxury desserts.
Make sure you spend a bit of time here and explore the wide range of beautiful products. There are Christmas tree decorations, tea towels, prints, pin badges, jewellery and even marzipan desserts that look exactly like real fruits.
V&A Café
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On your way out from the Marie Antoinette exhibition you’ll pass London’s most beautiful museum café, the V&A café which is the oldest museum café in the world. It dates back to 1868, meaning it has been serving inhouse refreshments for over 150 years.
Its grand arches, opulent chandeliers, and high stained glass windows make it suitable for a queen.
Practical Info
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Address
V&A South Kensington | Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL
(nearest station South Kensington. Piccadilly, District and Circle lines)
Enter via the Cromwell Road entrance (It’s step free and wheelchair accessible). The exhibition is in Galleries 38 & 39.
Opening Times
Until 22nd March 2026
Mon – Thu: 10am – 5:45pm
Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 5:45pm
Tickets
Book your ticket on V&A’s official website
Ready for your next adventure? Banksy Limitless exhibition is now open, and you can get 10% off your ticket! Book with Fever and simply use code ADVENTURERLDN10 at the checkout to get the discount. The Banksy Limitless exhibition is a 15-minute walk or 8 minutes (3 stops) by bus from V&A.
