The Undressed exhibition at the Victoria & Albert explores the history of lingerie from the 18th century to the present day, charting its role in shaping the silhouette to the fashionable body ideal, design innovation and evolution of cut, fit and fabric trends as well as the changing attitudes towards gender, sexuality and morality.
There are over 200 examples of women's and men's underwear from 19th century home-made whalebone stays and everyday garments to custom-made bridal, silk stockings, satin suspender belts and modern-day delicate lace sets. Lingerie-inspired outerwear is on display like Gwyneth Paltrow's Antonio Berardi trompe l’oeil corset dress, the iconic 90s see-through Kate Moss dress and the lilac lace Elie Saab dress Mila Kunis wore on the red carpet, along with old advertising posters and interviews with Agent Provocateur's creative director Sarah Shotton and the fabulously eccentric Parisienne designer Fifi Chachnil. This glittering canary yellow corset made by Mr Pearl for ultimate girl crush Dita Von Teese was my highlight. If Undressed doesn't inspire you to go home and get out your most beautiful lingerie, I don't know what will.
Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear is on until 12 March 2017
See more culture posts & London features
