Style and Splendour - Queen Maud of Norway's Wardrobe (1896-1938)
V & A
2 Feb 2005 - 8 Jan 2006
Queen of Vogue
Queen Maud of Norway's stunningly extensive wardrobe is enough
to awaken latent childhood princess fantasies...
In
a procession of shimmering beaded gowns, smart suits and candy-hued
shoes, Queen Maud's wardrobe bespeaks a major watershed in fashion
history, marking a transition from the intricacies of chaste but
elaborate Edwardian fashion to the elegantly simple and stately
trends of the 1930s. The V&A exhibit showcases her opulent
tastes, includes more than fifty outfits that the Queen wore during
her reign.
A British princess, Maud became Queen Consort of Norway when the country declared its independence from Sweden in 1905. Many traditional Norwegian pieces comprise her wardrobe, including a formal dress bearing an exaggeratedly high Edwardian collar with stays arching outward in a display of eminent regality. The Queen also employed the talents of Italian designer Mariano Fortuny, whose lush fabrics greatly influenced the textile industry, and she also served as a muse for seminal English designer Charles Frederick Worth. Worth conceived a number of sophisticated suits and sleek evening gowns for the Queen, including the rich golden dress she wore to the coronation of George VI, which were unencumbered by the mountains of lace and beading that weighed down the Edwardian gowns of the Queen's youth. The shedding of layers in Queen Maud's wardrobe mirrors the sartorial clime of the period, which was shifting toward modernity - and consequently shrugging off the highfalutin adornments of the past.
The Queen's shoe collection is equally sumptuous, including a
veritable rainbow of shades and a number of lace-up leather boots.
An assortment of accessories shows a predilection for colour-blocked
clutches and delicate gloves.
The wardrobe is undeniably an important collection of historical artefacts, as well as an ideal representation of what is now considered a sea change in the annals of fashion. It can be discussed in sociological and academic terms, but it's most charming in that it offers a window into a fairy-tale world of extravagant pomp and lavish beauty.
- Ashley Brown
