A glimpse into the history of fashion at the V&A

As we were walking over to the wedding dress exhibition at the V&A, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by flapper dresses, corsets and other garments from times long gone by:

Following the history of dresses…

Now flapper dresses just become more and more appealing to me!  I personally don’t like to wear very tight fitting dresses, and so I just adore the loosely draped silhouettes of the 1920s dresses.  The original ones also have such beautiful designs and patterns, that make them little pieces of art!

Christian Dior designs at the V&A

Not entirely sure how comfortable I would be wearing these dresses and corsets…?

When you walk along the exhibition – which takes place just around the wedding dress exhibition – you will see such wonderful displays of everything from Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Roger Vivier for Dior:

Shoes Roger Vivier (1913-1998) for Dior 1958-60 

Above is a stunning pair of satin embroidered heels with beads, silk and metal thread by Roger Vivier for Dior.  Roger Vivier (1913-98) was a luxury designer who shook the world of fashion in the 30s, when his designs were considered shocking by many major retailers.  His portfolio is very impressive, as he designed for couturiers like Elsa Schiaparelli in the 30s and also Dior from 1953-63.  He worked a lot in expensive materials like silk, pearls, lace and jewels and he is the only one of Dior’s collaborators permitted to have a credit on the final design: ‘Christian Dior crée par Roger Vivier’.  He is also credited with having invented the stiletto!

I know that a lot of you lovely readers have an exquisite sense of fashion, and I would love to hear how you would style an outfit with the shoes above!

More Christian Dior designs 

So if you do pop by the V&A make sure that you also check out this exhibition – these pictures form only a small preview of what you will see there!

Arabella Bianco’s Vintage Jewellery Collection

Hello my dear, I sure hope you are having a wonderful week in this glorious weather.  London feels like a Mediterranean city with the sun beaming down on us and the trees and flowers so proudly flaunting their summer costumes.

Arabella Bianco at Vintage Modes

As promised in Monday’s post, we are today going to check out Arabella Bianco’s dazzling new home at Vintage Modes in Grays Antique Centre.

Stunning Vintage Bracelet and Necklace set from Arabella Bianco 

I am such a fan of the Arabella Bianco collection because this lady knows her jewellery!  The condition of the pieces is always great and the designs are so exciting, with everything from Christian Dior and Balenciaga to Trifari, Butler & Wilson… and so much more!

Parrot Brooch from Arabella Bianco at Grays Antique Centre

The owner, Lesley Sargeant, started selling fair trade in 2007 at Bromley Town Centre Market, and later expanded into jewellery.  Just like our mantra here on the blog, she adores vintage jewellery because it is so well-made and beautiful, and the finds are always so unexpected!  50s to 80s vintage costume jewellery is their speciality but they stock new vintage style jewellery too.

Yep, rows and rows and shelves of beautiful pieces of jewellery!

You can buy their beautiful pieces from their website, from their store in Vintage Modes at Grays Antique Centre and at vintage events.  Their slogan is the lovely ‘fun fashion with a difference’  and they loosely follow trends to fit with the modern day wardrobe.

And when you pop by the shop do say hi to Lesley from me – and make sure that you ask her about pieces that you are interested in, as she will tell you about the designs and often also the fascinating stories behind them – which is of course what vintage jewellery is all about!

Vintage Pearl and Rhinestone earrings at Arabella Bianco at Grays Antique Centre

Arabella Bianco at Vintage Modes, 1-7 Davies Mews, Mayfair, London W1K 5AB