They drive on the opposite side of the road, have different electricity plugs, their hot and cold water runs from two separate taps and their clocks are always one hour behind those on the continent. On top of that, they waved goodbye to the rest of Europe in the 2015 Brexit referendum! Yet, we still love them and admire many things British – lifestyle, fashion, attitudes.
This admiration clearly stands behind the latest exhibition opened on 12th September 2023 in the Kunstmuseum in the Hague. Royals & Rebels is largely a tribute to Vivienne Westwood, a legendary British fashion designer who passed away last year but it shows the whole legacy of the British fashion through fabulous pieces by other famous designers – Charles Frederick Worth, the first great couturier who successfully established his House of Worth in Paris, Lucille, Edward Molyneux, Aesthetic Movement, more recent ones by Mary Quant, John Galliano, and Simone Rocha or by the youngest generation, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy and Matty Bovan. The exhibition is curated by Madelief Hohe and will be open till 7th January 2024. https://www.kunstmuseum.nl/en/exhibitions/royals-rebels
Fascination with British fashion and lifestyle, called Anglomania, is nothing new and it was enthusiastically followed even by queen Marie Antoinette. By the end of 18th century English fashion was seen as a sober alternative against ceremonial and complicated French court attire. While French aristocrats flocked to Versailles in elaborated clothing adorned with laces and ribbons, English gentry preferred living in their vast country estates, where they rode horses, went hunting, took long walks, or played outdoor games. Naturally, these activities required more practical, comfortable clothing, made of cotton and wool rather than silk. With the emergence of new social and political ideas that eventually lead to the French Revolution, choosing English fashion was a political declaration, a vote against absolute monarchy.
After WWII the popularity of fashion from the British Isles grew mainly due to the then new phenomenon of youth fashion and youth subcultures. The world heard about the Beatles, Mick Jagger, Mary Quant and Vivien Westwood. A few decades later, Punk came to prominence, and John Galliano and Alexander McQueen presented their fashion collections.
Recent events, namely the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 followed by the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in May 2023, brought the world’s attention back to the Windsor family. Especially its younger generation, and the fashion choices of Cathereine the Princess of Wales arouse as much emotions as Lady Diana’s three decades ago.
The exhibition is arranged around three themes, each of them exploring the impact of British fashion on different aspects of life. In the City is all about tailored suits, women’s tweed suits that inspired Chanel to design her trademark costume, raincoats, and Aesthetic Movement dresses. Easy to notice that men’s suits, with Saville Road master tailors leading the industry, strongly influenced the cut of women’s costumes. Both sexes dressed in sober colors of black, grey, navy and beige. Boring for some, classy and timeless for others.
In the Country features fashion suitable for country lifestyle that involved horse riding, walking and sports like rowing, cricket, hockey, tennis and, of course – hunting. Clothes are more colorful here, with floral patterns either printed or embroidered. They needed to be sturdier and more comfortable than these worn in the city. My favorite pieces in this part are two plain white dresses dated around 1810-15 for playing tennis.
The final Royals & Rebels part is the essence of this exhibit. Interestingly, it is missing authentic royal court dresses but instead shows dazzling modern designs directly inspired with royal court attire by Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Simone Rocha and Alexander McQueen. The latter once said:
British fashion is self-confident and… refuses to bow to commerce, thus generating a constant flow of new ideas whilst drawing on British heritage.
So, what do we admire them for and so eagerly imitate their style? Certainly, for their creative quotations from their own past, for their distance and subtle sense of humor towards themselves. For not being serious about absolutely everything, including fashion. For the diversity that allows conservatives in tweed blazers and eccentrics in Elton John-style jackets to feel accepted. Also, for exciting and, let’s be honest, entertaining for many royal scandals, for James Bond films, tea with milk, lemon curd, biscuits, Scottish bag pipes, Harry Potter, The Beatles, Paddington Bear, Peppa Pig and Wimbledon games. Long live the King!