The finale to the Downton Abbey saga, appropriately titled Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, recently debuted in theaters and with it came a cavalcade of picture perfect period costumes to match. Join Joe Zee, host of Focus Features: Dressed series, as her speaks with stars Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, and costume designer Anna Robbins to chat about their outfits, the inspirations behind them, and the place they hold within the show and films legacy.
Victoria and Albert Museum: Mounting An 18th-Century Silk Dress – Textile Conservation Step-by-Step
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: "In this video, we take you behind the scenes of the Textile Conservation Studio to see how museum mounting professionals Lauren and Hannah mount and display an original 18th-century robe à la française (also known as a sack-back dress). Experience each step of the textile mounting process — from preparing the mannequin with conservation-safe materials, to supporting delicate fabrics – all ensuring the long-term care of the garment."
Last Sunday, actor Noah Wyle won his first Emmy award for his starring role as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch on the medial drama The Pitt. No stranger to playing a doctor, having played one for eleven years on another famous medical show ER, Noah wanted to pay tribute to the doctors and other healthcare workers portrayed on his show by wearing a tuxedo made entirely of scrubs. Since such an outfit did not exist, he asked scrubwear company FIGS if they could make one for him. Undaunted by the challenge, FIGS created a one-of-a-kind suit for Noah "designed solely for the Emmys and not available for sale." Click through to get a glimpse of the process that went into designing this outfit tailor-made for an actor known for his doctor roles.
From the National Trust: "Famous actress Ellen Terry wore this shimmering dress in the 1888 production of Macbeth. Decorated in more than 1,000 beetle wings, it was even immortalised in a painting by John Singer Sargent."
From Historic Royal Palaces: "Embroidery was a staple at the Tudor Court. It decorated the huge halls of palaces like Hampton Court, and adorned the clothes of Kings, Queens, and aristocrats. In this video, Tudor fashion historian Eleri Lynn talks to Curator Charles Farris about the place of embroidery at court, and how Elizabeth I both produced and wore elaborately decorated textiles."
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: "Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a spectacle of romance and cabaret, set in the heart of Paris' bohemian scene during the Belle Époque era. Bringing Baz Luhrmann's landmark film to life on stage, the production is a musical mash-up extravaganza, immersing you in a world of splendour and glory. Join Costume Designer Catherine Zuber and Curator Harriet Reed as they take us behind the scenes, introducing the real Moulin Rouge and showgirls of the time, showing the original design sketches for Satine's dazzling diamond studded costume, and demonstrating how one vital mechanism is crucial for the piece's quick change on stage."
The Her Universe Fashion Show celebrated its 11th anniversary this July at San Diego Comic Con by putting on its annual fashion show saluting geek couture. This year's theme was Defying Fashion: Fashion That Defies Expectations, where designers created looks inspired by the film Wicked and other Universal Studios and DreamWorks Animation properties such as Jurassic Park, Trolls, and so much more. While we wait till next July's show, relive this year's show, or see it for the first time if you missed out, in full.
From Loïc Prigent: "Discover the behind-the-scenes of the exhibition dedicated to the house of Worth at the Petit Palais! Who is Charles Frederick Worth? Who is Marie Venet? How can a fashion house last a century? For months, our cameras had exclusive access to the staging of this major retrospective. We followed every step, from the restoration to the final installation of the iconic pieces created by the father of haute couture."
Everything and anything can be material for your next project. Just as we've seen flowers be turned into stunning floral beds that resemble quilts, so too can those same flowers be used to adorn and create lavish garments. This concept has been executed with beautiful precision for the exhibit, Fleurs de Villes Downton Abbey, which "will immerse guests in the refined elegance and captivating drama of Downton Abbey, brought to life through exquisite floral artistry." Learn more about the stunning exhibit and where you can see it on full display as it travels to ten cities across three countries.
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: "Join Senior Curator Sonnet Stanfill as she examines Schiaparelli's uncanny evening dress, superimposed with the outline of skeletal bones. Get closer than ever before and see how padding, zips, and quilting have been used to construct such an elegant yet surreal garment."
From The Met: "Join Monica L. Miller, Guest Curator and Professor and Chair of African Studies, Barnard College, Columbia University, on a tour of the exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, with an introduction from Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute. The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition presents a cultural and historical examination of Black style over three hundred years through the concept of dandyism. Through a presentation of garments and accessories, paintings, photographs, decorative arts, and more, from the 18th century to today, Superfine interprets this sartorial practice as both an aesthetic and a strategy that allowed for new social and political possibilities."
From the Royal Collection Trust: "Step into the splendour of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra’s 1902 Coronation at Westminster Abbey, which ushered in a golden age of style and glamour for the royal family. The royal couple set new trends that shaped Edwardian fashion and taste. Go behind the scenes with our conservators to learn about the recent conservation of these iconic thrones, which have been on display in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace since the 1902 coronation."
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: "Join New York-based designer, Marc Bouwer, and V&A Senior Conservator, Rachael Lee, as they take a close-up look at the glittering dress worn by Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards in 1994. Bouwer's long-term working relationship with Whitney Houston saw him create hundreds of on-stage looks for the singer, each tailored to her preference for ease of movement and support for her vocal chords. Discover the inspiration behind the striking design and the painstaking process of its embellishment as the dress is prepared for display in our DIVA exhibition (24 June 2023 – 7 April 2024)."
Andor, the prequel series to the Star Wars film Rogue One focusing on Cassian Andor, recently finished its two-season run on Disney+. Now, relive the series by discovering how the beautiful costumes were created with insight from costume designer Michael Wilkinson.
Last year, Robert Eggers' reimagining of Nosferatu, itself a retelling of the classic Dracula tale, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Join Joe Zee as part of Focus Features: Dressed series as he sits down with the film's costume designer Linda Muir to talk all about the historical influences and design choices that went into making these characters clothes come alive.
From The Met: "Explore behind the scenes at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Conservation Laboratory, where objects in the collection and exhibition loans are expertly conserved. In this video, Jessica Regan, assistant curator in The Costume Institute, offers a close look at an American dress from about 1885."
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: "Join Curator Stephanie Wood as she carefully unboxes a haute couture cocktail suit, hat and handbag designed by Gabrielle Chanel for her Spring/Summer 1965 collection. Made from a cloqué fabric, the suit jacket and dress are highly textured, giving the look a distinctive, sculptured quality."
"For Spring Summer 2025, you are cordially invited to join Liberty Fabrics as we raise the curtain on Retold, a 150-year anniversary theatrical spectacular." Join Liberty of London for a retelling of their first 150 years of history, how that history inspired their sesquicentennial Retold collection, and how that will influence the next 150 years to come.
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: "From the cocoon of the bombyx mori silk moth, to shiny couture dresses, join us on a journey through the fascinating world of silk – all the way from fibre to thread."
Stranger Things, the worldwide television phenomenon from Netflix, is set to conclude its five-season run this year. Set in Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, its fashion is very representative of its time period. But did you know that there is a prequel to the show set in the 1950s? And did you know that prequel is actually a broadway play? The play in question, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, just debuted on Broadway last month after transferring over from London's West Side. Costume designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel was recently nominated for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play for work on the show, which features over 500 costumes. Watch and see how Brigitte "reimagines a colorful and blood-soaked Hawkins, Indiana, for the Broadway stage" in this video from InStyle.