Fashion · V&A (2024)

The overnight success of Dior's couture house, launched in 1947 post-war austerity, saw a decade of high-end fashion known as the 'golden age'

100 years of fashion photography

Discover the key trends in fashion photography over the last 100 years

Take a peek at our underwear collection

Fashion unpicked: The 'Bar' suit by Christian Dior

Watch dressmaking expert and V&A volunteer, Sue Clark, as she examines Christian Dior's 'Bar' suit

From Jeanne Lanvin's haute couture to the bold geometric jewellery of Raymond Templier, discover the Art Deco aesthetic in the fashions of the 1920s and 1930s

BLITZ magazine and the tale of 22 denim jackets

Discover era-defining style magazine BLITZ and their designer denim jacket project

As the fashion industry continues to plunder the earth's resources, innovators are striving to find alternative production processes

X-raying the Fashion collection

Find out how we're shedding new light on our Fashion collections through the illuminating mode of X-ray

Discover the origins of the catwalk show

The design process: interviews with Agent Provocateur, FiFi Chachnil and La Perla

From creation to catwalk - discover the design process of three leading fashion brands

Discover the hidden interior structures of iconic garments by Cristóbal Balenciaga, revealed through beautiful X-rays

The 'Babydoll' slip by Carine Gilson

Lingerie designer, Carine Gilson discusses the design process behind the 'Babydoll' slip featured in the exhibition

Gareth Pugh, Pam Hogg and Philip Treacy discuss bespoke bridal commissions

Meet Katie Jones – technicolour knitwear and crochet designer passionate about her ethical craft

Balenciaga's sequinned evening coat

Recreating the beautiful hot-pink beading and sequin work of Balenciaga's 1967 evening coat.

Animated dress patterns show how three of Balenciaga's iconic designs were constructed, revealing his mastery of pattern cutting, draping and manipulation of fabrics.

How Arts and Crafts influenced fashion

How did the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement influence the design and manufacture of clothes, accessories and jewellery?

Discover the internal structures of a hat, stays, and a hood - three historic objects from the exhibition, Fashioned from Nature

Women's tie-on pockets

Find out how the development of the humble pocket offered independence and security for women

Working with colleagues at the Natural History Museum, London, we explore some of the materials used to create fashion that are drawn from the natural world

Fashion inspired by the natural world

Discover more about how nature has provided a rich source of inspiration for fashion over the centuries

The glamour of first-class travel is brought to life for the exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed and Style

Knitted eveningwear

Discover how knitted fabrics have created glamorous evening dresses through the 20th century and beyond

Despite using the natural world as a source book, the fashion industry's processes and practices harm environments, ecosystems and human communities globally

Stephen Jones and Dior

Milliner, Stephen Jones, discusses working alongside Dior to create exquisite hats and headpieces to complement their designs

Jean Dawnay's daughter, Katya Galitzine, discusses her Mother's modelling career during Dior's golden age

BodyMap: shaping 1980s fashion

Discover how influential British fashion label BodyMap shaped the 1980s catwalk scene

A confirmed Anglophile, Christian Dior associated his many visits to Britain with "a sensation of happiness and great personal freedom"

Modelling for a legend – Svetlana Lloyd on Dior

Listen to 1950s Dior mannequin Svetlana Lloyd discussing working for the house

Sweet, punk or gothic?

Sew your own: Mary Quant 'Georgie' dress

Get creative with our free downloadable sewing pattern!

Fashion in Motion has brought free catwalk shows to the public for the past 20 years

Barbara Nessim: an artful life

Meet American artist, fashion designer and computer art pioneer, Barbara Nessim

Couturier Madeleine Vionnet changed the shape of women's fashion with her revolutionary 'bias-cutting' technique

Introducing Elsa Schiaparelli

Shocking, subversive, surreal – meet Elsa Schiaparelli

Fashion designer Paul Poiret describes his debut as a couturier in this extract from his 1931 autobiography

'From A to Biba' by Barbara Hulanicki

Discover the humble beginnings of a legendary fashion label

Fashion journalist Ernestine Carter recalls her first glimpse of Christian Dior's 'New Look' in this extract from her autobiography

'Silver and Gold' by Norman Hartnell

Couturier Norman Hartnell describes the pinnacle of his career: designing the Coronation dress for Queen Elizabeth II

Take a look at the complex process of making bags

The Infinity Dress and Omniverse Sculpture

A voluminous kinetic 'halo' hovers around a magical feathered dress

Hear from enigmatic fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto as he talks about his career and design values

Fashion design: Rahemur Rahman

Sustainable, ethical fashion, "for people who dream in colour"

From ruffle-fronted shirts, to Y-fronts, jock-straps and Calvin Kleins, explore the hidden history of men's underwear

Inside the Fashioning Masculinities exhibition

Take a look inside our first major exhibition to celebrate the art of menswear

Sumptuous and subversive fashions which disregard gender

Fashion design: Samuel Ross / A-COLD-WALL*

Clothing as "armour for the now", or architecture for the body

Discover the dazzling spectrum of colours in menswear throughout history

Fashion design: Priya Ahluwalia

"One of the most important outfits in a man's wardrobe is a tracksuit"

Take a look inside the wardrobe of Professor Lalage Bown, OBE

Family, photography, memories: Africa Fashion

Find out about the personal stories and unique fashion histories from individuals across the continent

Legendary couturier Pierre Balmain recalls his fledgeling fashion show in this extract from his autobiography

Tortoiseshell combs from Jamaica

This Intriguing set of tortoiseshell objects reveal a colonial history

Meet iconic fashion designer Shade Thomas-Fahm

Conserving an 18th-century portrait and waistcoat

Follow the conservation of two uniquely connected objects – a rare double acquisition for the museum

Meet Nisha Kanabar, founder and CEO of Industrie Africa

Magician of the desert: Alphadi

Meet Alphadi – world renowned fashion designer drawing upon histories and cultures from across the continent

Join Senior Curator Christine Checinska as she examines this striking fuchsia ensemble

Fashion in Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando'

Curator Rosalind McKever explores fashion, gender and identity in Virgina Woolf’s novel 'Orlando'.

Discover a dazzling 1960s evening dress by Yves Saint Laurent and matching shoes by Roger Vivier

100 years of fashionable womenswear

Explore three unique dresses spanning 100 years of fashion history

Explore the evolution of Gabrielle Chanel's design philosophy through her most enduring and recognisable pieces

Fashion unpicked: CHANEL tweed suit worn by Lauren Bacall

See the exquisite hand-sewn detailing of a suit made for a star

How did the designer change the face of women's fashion?

Gabrielle Chanel in Britain

Discover how the designer was inspired by Britain

Meet our favourite Barbie and Sindy dolls

Fashion Unpicked: CHANEL sequin trouser suit worn by Diana Vreeland

Take a close-up look at the glamorous design

Could she wear anything more iconic?

The groundbreaking Black models who changed fashion

Find out about the trailblazing women who paved the way

Take a peek, inside and out