V&A to launch Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear

London’s V&A has announced its plans to host another exciting design exhibition in 2016, following the success of this year’s Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, and the sold-out, internationally acclaimed Savage Beauty retrospective of Alexander McQueen’s work.

Undressed: 350 Years of Underwear in Fashion is described as an examination of “the history of private and intimate clothing” covering an extensive range of underwear and corsetry garments as well as boudoir wear, and will run from April 2016 to February 2017.

The V&A announced in a press release on 3^rd September the exhibition would focus on “the practicalities of underwear and its role in the fashionable wardrobe while highlighting its sensual, sexual appeal”.  The statement continued to explain how the collection will “explore dress reformers and designers such as Paul Poiret, who argued for the beauty of the natural body, as well as entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators who have played a critical role in the development of increasingly more effective and comfortable underwear.”

The exhibition adds to the museum’s “touring exhibitions” portfolio and has been previously installed in Brisbane Museum in Australia and in New Zealand’s Queenstown Museum. It will be formed of 140 pieces alongside materials including photographs, advertisements and packaging, all demonstrating the changing concepts and expectations of the ideal body shape.

Emma Pugh

Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear will be at the V&A from April 2016 until February 2017, for further information visit here.