The London look: 10 fashion exhibitions in the capital

04.10.2023 - 12:21 / theguardian.com / Marlene Dietrich / Lauren Bacall / London

The V&A’s new blockbuster exhibition is the first in the UK dedicated to the French couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel – and it is selling out fast. The show is fully booked until Christmas, but at the time of writing there was still plenty of availability in January and February. The exhibition charts the history of the House of Chanel, from the opening of Coco’s first millinery shop in Paris in 1910 to her final collection in 1971, and her legacy today. There are almost 200 looks on show, including a piece from 1916 and outfits designed for Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich, plus accessories, jewellery and perfume.
Until 25 February, £24 adults/£16 children/under-12s free, vam.ac.uk

The Design Museum is celebrating 30 years of the British Fashion Council’s Newgen programme, which supports young designers. It features nearly 100 looks from the debut collections of designers who became big names, such as Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Simone Rocha. Highlights of the “exuberant, rebellious and radical” clothes on display include the swan dress worn by Bjork at the 2001 Oscars and the inflatable latex suit worn by Sam Smith at this year’s Brit awards. The exhibition also includes films, drawings and other archive materials and memorabilia.
Until 11 February, from £16.33 adults/£8.16 children/under-11s free, designmuseum.org

Telling “untold stories of Black British fashion” from the 1970s to today, this exhibition celebrates pioneering Black creatives who were either denied access to the fashion industry, or had their contributions misrepresented or excluded from the story of British fashion. These include the late Joe Casely-Hayford, one of Britain’s most influential Black designers, whose archive will be exhibited in the UK for the first time. There are also commissions by contemporary designers, including Nicholas Daley, Bianca Saunders and Saul Nash. As well as the catwalk, the show spotlights music, photography, art and design.
21 September to 7 January, £12 adults/under-25s £5, somersethouse.org.uk

This intriguing exhibition explores “printed propaganda textiles” from the French Revolution to Brexit. Propaganda is more commonly associated with art and sculpture, but the curator – the design historian Amber Butchart – shows how fabric has been used politically too, in furnishings and fashion. Visitors will find out how textiles have been used by communist and fascist regimes, as well as by democracies and corporations. Textiles on display include toile de Jouy from France, Japanese robes from the Asia-Pacific war and Cultural Revolution-era Chinese fabrics.
29 September to 3 March, £11.50 adults/under-12s free, fashiontextilemuseum.org

The Museum of London’s new exhibition will illuminate the