1 December 2007 to 1 June 2008
Fashion & Style gallery

It’s the fashion icon of all time! Whatever the occasion, the Little Black Dress is the one item guaranteed to transform you into a sophisticated goddess of style – at a moment's notice.

The appeal of the Little Black Dress is its timeless glamour – from Coco Chanel to Audrey Hepburn to Elizabeth Hurley, it has the power to make all women feel special. The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, once said in its praise “When the little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place”.

Brighton Museum celebrates the contribution of the Little Black Dress to women’s lives with an exhibition charting the history of this iconic garment, curated by leading fashion designer Andrew Fionda (of the label Pearce II Fionda).

Designers from haute couture to the high street have contributed dresses of all kinds. Many have personal resonance for the rich and famous.

Star items include
* Ben de Lisi’s red carpet dress for Kate Winslet
* Julien MacDonald’s flowing creation worn by Victoria Beckham in That Extra Half Inch
* Anouska Hempel’s dramatic puff ball, modelled by Hilary Swank in Tatler
* stage costumes from 1930s musical star Adelaide Hall, and Brighton’s 21st century drag celebrity, Dave Lynn
* favourite outfits of Zoe Ball, Joanna Lumley and Joan Collins
* a John Galliano design donated by Lady Sally Albemarle, a regular on best dressed lists in New York and London

British-based, classic designers, from the high street to leading couturiers, have been invited to submit their interpretation of the perfect little black dress. Designers represented include Amanda Wakeley, Anouska Hempel, Antony Price, Aquascutum, Barbara Hulanicki (Biba), Ben de Lisi, Betty Jackson, Bruce Oldfield, Catherine Walker, Charles James, DAKS, English Eccentrics, Giles Deacon, Hamish Morrow, Jaeger, Janice Wainwright, Jean Muir, John Galliano, John Rocha, Julien MacDonald, Marios Schwab, Nicole Farhi, Norman Hartnell, Pearce Fionda, Sarah Arnett, and Zandra Rhodes.

Brighton’s own take on the Little Black Dress is shown through personal and quirky interpretations drawn from the wardrobes of local women. Other exhibits are drawn from Andrew Fionda’s personal archives and Brighton Museum’s costume collection.

Little Black Dress is supported by Debenhams, Drakes Hotel and The Lanes Health & Beauty