The exhibition displays garments on loan from eminent costume collections and the archives of significant fashion designers working today such as Vivienne Westwood, Galliano and Chanel, along with key objects from the National Maritime Museum’s own collections.
From brass buttons to bell-bottoms, garments traditionally worn at sea have been adopted and adapted throughout history to create new fashions, identities and statements.
Over the last 150 years, the enduring influence of nautical and naval-inspired styles has spread from the UK and throughout Europe to America and into wardrobes of millions, permeating high street and haute couture fashions alike.
Sailor Chic explores three main areas. The first focuses on the beginnings of nautical inspired fashions in Britain and explores the use of naval styles to evoke a sense of national pride and solidarity with the Royal Navy. The nautical trend first began in 1846 when Queen Victoria had a sailor suit made for her son, the four year old Albert Edward to wear aboard the Royal Yacht. This outfit is on display in the exhibition together with a painting of the Prince of Wales proudly wearing the suit, painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.
The second looks at how the style was later adopted by different groups and subcultures to form distinctive looks and identities. This trend in turn influenced the work of designers, filmmakers, costumiers and iconic pop musicians. Featured pieces include an outfit from Vivienne Westwood’s seminal 1981 ‘pirate’ collection complete with bi-corn hat and sash, as well as the naval inspired costume designed and worn by Adam Ant in the UK chart number one, ‘Goody Two Shoes’.
In the third section Sailor Chic charts the trend’s evolution over the last 40 years and its transition from catwalk to high street. It displays the work of contemporary designers alongside garments which found their way into high street stores, providing a more accessible, affordable nautical look.
The exhibition runs through 2 December 2007. -- www.nmm.ac.uk
