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Iconic wedding dresses go on display at V&A

Historic and high profile wedding dresses from the past 250 years show the development of the iconic gown

The history of the modern wedding dress is to be explored in a new exhibition of more than 80 nuptual gowns at the V&A museum - showing the rise of the classic white dress.



Featuring celebrity gowns worn by Gwen Stefani, Dita Von Teese and Mary Charteris, the collection follows the development of wedding dress designs from 1775 until present day.

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The Dior outfits worn by Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale from their 2002 wedding will be on display, with the famous dip-dye pink trim to Gwen's extravegant white dress. And Dita Von Teese's deep purple ballgown designed by Vivienne Westwood stands out against the traditional white.


The Duchess of Cornwall's grey silk coat will be on display, from the blessing of her marriage to Prince Charles as well a variety of bride and groom accessories.

But as well as iconic dresses from modern day brides, the exhibition also shows the development of wedding dresses with the earliest examples of wedding fashion and the rise of white for marriage outfits in the 19th century.

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Designs from the 1920s and 30s show the glamorisation of bridal wear, which became influenced by evening fashions and made from a variety of fabrics. And WWII dresses show how wartime clothing restrictions ransformed designs using non-rationed fabrics such as net curtains and parachute silk.



The exhibition will then bring us up to date to the glamour an spectacle of today's weddings with S/S14 designs from Jenny Packham and Temperley Bridal. Key designers will include Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Vera Wang, Jasper Conran, Bruce Oldfield, Osman, Hardy Amies, Bellville Sassoon, Mr.Fish, John Bates and Jean Muir, with millinery by Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones.

The exhibition takes place at the V&A from 3 May 2014 – 15 March 2015, tickets online.