A Taylor Swift Fashion Exhibition Is Coming To London This Summer
There's nothing like getting off our phones, switching off Netflix, and heading outdoors for a healthy dose of history. Thankfully, this summer’s cultural calendar is filled with a range of exhibitions offering just that. Whether you're in Paris or London, there's something worth taking your nearest and dearest to.
One show already on our radar is the V&A’s Naomi Campbell retrospective opening later this month, which will chart the trailblazing supermodel’s 40-year career. With over 100 haute couture and ready-to-wear looks on display alongside images by some of fashion’s most esteemed photographers, it's set to be spectacular.
Though for those who require a cultural fix a little sooner (read: now) there are plenty of others to choose from. Matisse: The Red Studio, at the Louis Vuitton Foundation is Paris, is well worth the Eurostar fare, or, for something a little closer to home, stop by the Tate Modern and experience Yoko Ono’s participatory work through objects, film, music and large-scale installations.
If that's given you the urge to get out there and see a great exhibition, here are some shows that are currently on the ELLE UK team's radar.
Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail
It seems even the art world has found itself in the clutches of Taylor Swift mania... As the 14-time Grammy Award winning artist continues to travel the world on her sold-out Eras Tour, the Victoria & Albert Museum has just announced that it will be putting some of Taylor's most iconic outfits on display this summer.
As part of a free trail celebrating the singer, the V&A South Kensington will exhibit 16 looks that come straight from Taylor's own personal archives, from a pair of customised cowboy boots that date back to 2007, to the ruffled dress she wore in her most recent music video for Fortnight. The costumes will sit alongside instruments, awards, storyboards and previously unseen archival materials exploring Taylor's childhood and recording legacy – many of which are being displayed for the first time. A must for Swifties and fashion-lovers alike.
Where: V&A South Kensington, London
When: 27 July – 8 September 2024
Tickets: Free
Matisse: The Red Studio / Ellsworth Kelly: Shapes and Colours, 1949-2015
It’s been a decade since the striking Louis Vuitton Foundation, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, first opened its doors, with the mission of celebrating the greatest artists. To mark the occasion, the gallery is hosting a dual exhibition spotlighting the renowned French painter Henri Matisse and American abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly. (Kelly was commissioned by the Foundation in 2014 to create works to decorate its auditorium: the monumental Spectrum VIII, which anchors the space, was among his last works before his death in 2015.)
Start with the Matisse showcase centred around his The Red Studio painting, which Ann Temkin, chief curator at The Museum of Modern Art, describes as a ‘landmark’ creation that inspired generations of artists, including Mark Rothko and Kelly. Afterwards, head downstairs to view the Kelly retrospective, which features some of his most significant paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings.
Where: The Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris
When: Now until 9 September 2024
Tickets: €16 for general admission
Naomi
Very few models have had as much of a cultural impact as Naomi Campbell. Thus, the V&A museum is celebrating the trailblazing supermodel’s 40-year career with a first-of-its kind-exhibition in London.
Pieces from Campbell’s own wardrobe will be on display alongside archive loans, bringing together over 100 ready-to-wear and haute couture looks designed the likes of Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld and Virgil Abloh. Fashion photography will also play a prominent role, with imagery lensed by photographers including Nick Knight, Steven Meisel and Tim Walker on display. The show will also recognise her activism and philanthropic endeavours, giving a deeper insight into the British supermodel’s world beyond the catwalk.
Where: V&A South Kensington, London
When: Now until 6 April 2025
Tickets: £18
Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind
Explore seven decades of conceptual creations from artist and activist Yoko Ono at the Tate Modern’s celebration of her work: Music of the Mind. The exhibition’s title is inspired by Ono’s desire to spark the imagination. ‘The only sound that exists to me is the sound of the mind. My works are only to induce music of the mind in people,’ she said. ‘In the mind-world, things spread out and go beyond time.’ The showcase of more than 200 pieces is a multi-sensory invitation to dream, with pieces on display taking the form of film, music, photography and installations.
Where: Tate Modern, London
When: Now until 1 September 2024
Tickets: £22 for general admission
Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style
From East End tailors to the couture salons of the West End, Fashion City tells the little-known stories of Jewish Londoners who shaped the capital's thriving fashion industry – whether by creating some of the most iconic looks of the 20th century, founding important high-street retail chains, or dressing the luminaries of their times.
A red coat worn by Princess Diana will be on show alongside clothing from the likes of M&S and Moss Bros, as well as important photographs, objects and oral histories to lift the lid on this community's important contribution.
Where: Museum of London Docklands
When: Now until 7 July 2024
Tickets: £13 for general admission
Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens
Move over Bridgerton: this summer’s most hotly anticipated period drama is Firebrand, which stars Jude Law as Henry VIII opposite Alicia Vikander as the tyrant King’s sixth (and final) wife Katherine Parr, and earned an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes this year. Before heading to the cinema, brush up on your historical knowledge with a trip to the National Portrait Gallery’s aptly timed exhibition Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens.
From Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour to Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr, the show spotlights the six women who married the infamous King, delving into their lives and the legacies that have endured throughout history and continually influenced pop culture. It draws on factual and fictional depictions, through a mix of paintings and photography, costume and film.
Where: National Portrait Gallery, London
When: Now until 8 September 2024
Tickets: £21 for general admission
Judy Chicago: Revelations
Travel through 60 years of Judy Chicago’s feminist work at the artist’s largest London solo exhibition to date. It’s named after a previously unpublished manuscript written by Chicago in the 1970s, which, to mark the exhibition, is published the text for the first time by Serpentine and Thames & Hudson. The showcase itself is organised thematically around chapters of the text — a ‘radical retelling of history’ through a feminist lens — and features pieces that have never been exhibited before, alongside a range of works spanning her career and video footage of immersive performances.
Where: Serpentine North Gallery, London
When: Now until 1 September 2024
Tickets: Free
Christian Dior, Visionary Designer
Delve into the early influences that shaped Christian Dior’s creative vision at this new exhibition from the French couture house. Just a train ride away from the hustle and bustle of Paris, it’s set at the designer’s pastel-pink childhood home, Villa Les Rhumbs, which sits atop a serene cliff in Normandy overlooking the English Channel. Featuring a selection of never-before-seen pieces from the brand’s archives, alongside photographs and historical documents, this latest instalment traces Dior’s career and legacy, from Granville to Paris and beyond.
Where: Christian Dior Museum, Granville
When: Now until 3 November 2024
Tickets: €10 for general admission
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