Film and fashion come together this week to celebrate the unique style legacy left by Grace Kelly.
The Fifties star is being commemorated in an exhibition being held at the V&A. The exhibition, ‘Grace Kelly: Style Icon’ charts Kelly’s style not just during her film career, but also her role as real-life Princess when she married Prince Rainier in 1956.
The exhibition will feature many important pieces; including the dress Grace wore to collect her Oscar for ‘The Country Girl’ in 1955. But the jewel of the collection is Grace’s famous – and eponymous - Hermes handbag. Named ‘The Kelly’ in her honour, Grace made the bag a piece of fashion history when she used it to disguise her growing pregnancy from photographers. The bag was featured so prominently that it was an instant style hit, and it became a byword for classic, ladylike style.
‘Grace Kelly: Style Icon’ also features dresses from Kelly’s roles in films ‘High Society’ and ‘Rear Window’, plus later pieces including a YSL Mondrian dress and a 60’s bohemian gown from Dior.
But the Grace we feel we know – the star, the bride and the princess – is well represented. Whatever role she was playing, whether it was sidekick to James Stewart or royal consort, Grace’s love for fashion shines through every piece. She was known for developing personal connections with the clothes she wore, often re-using them time and again: the Oscar dress pictured here also did cover-girl duty when Grace was photographed for Life magazine, and was first worn by Kelly at a film premiere in 1954.
At a time where celebrities are concerned with being fashionable, and being the first to wear the latest trend, Kelly is a timely reminder that while style operates at a slower pace, it always wins the race in the end.
‘Grace Kelly: Style Icon’ is at the V&A museum from April 17th to September 26th.