Dress by Maggie Rouff - on the the steps of the Princely Palace of Monaco in 1956 (top image: V&A).
As this past weekend (Nov 12) would have marked Grace Kelly's 81st birthday, I realized I hadn't gotten around to posting about this exhibition. I had planned on seeing it back in April, but couldn't make it and ended up postponing subsequent visits until I finally dragged myself to the V&A museum - two days before closing. While the presentation was relatively small, the moderate selection of her surviving clothes aptly explored the story of her transformation from Hollywood actress to a princess of one of Europe's oldest royal families. It's no secret that Grace Kelly, one of the most photographed women of the 20th century, had an impeccable style: a kind of low-key glamour that inspired millions of women around the world. Yet apart from simply showcasing pretty clothes that once belonged to someone famous, the one thing I got out of this exhibition was a distinct feel for what made Grace Kelly so classy and chic.
That 'something' wasn't her selection of designer gear which she amassed after she became a princess. In fact, it's the exact opposite. If there's one thing I realized during my visit, it was just how thrifty Princess Grace actually was. This might be rare for someone who's not just famous but a member of royalty. Yet considering how most regular people these days seem to embrace throwaway fashion (let's not even talk about today's celebrities), I think Grace Kelly's view on style is aspirational and more relevant than ever. So instead of just taking this as a presentation of all things beautiful, I'd like to think this exhibition was something most people could learn from.
V&A had split the exhibition into four categories, each representing a period in Kelly's life or career. Every outfit was accompanied by photographs of her wearing that specific piece, while video footage of her wedding, movies and other events played in the background - bringing her style to life.
ActressMost of Grace Kelly's dresses during her movie career were created by costume designers, with whom she worked closely with - notably MGM's Helen Rose and Paramount's Edith Head. The gown she wore to accept her Oscar for 'The Country Girl' in 1955 had previously been worn to the movie's premiere and made another appearance on the cover of Life magazine. Likewise, a pale pink dress by Oleg Cassini was worn by Kelly in Cannes (1955) and on several other occasions including her journey from NYC to her new home in Monaco a year later.
Grace Kelly's Oscar gown by Edith Head (lower left) and another favorite dress by Oleg Cassini (top right) were worn during several public appearances. Other items on display: a no-name dress from NYC (lower center) and her Academy Award (top left image: V&A).
Some of the movie gowns, incl. dresses from 'High Society' by Helen Rose (left and lower right), 'Rear View' by Edith Head (center) and a simple cotton number from 'The Swan'.Grace Kelly first met Prince Rainier III during her trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 when French magazine 'Paris Match' organized a photo shoot between the two. The famous floral dress Kelly wore for the first meeting was labeled by the press as 'Dior inspired', though it was merely an 'easy to sew' garment from a McCall's Pattern Book - a last minute solution after a power cut in her hotel forced her to select the only item that didn't require ironing. This dress had also been previously worn by her, when she modeled it for the magazine. Kelly's love for simple classic American style was also evident from her choice of shirtwaist dresses and jacket-skirt ensembles. Many such outfits were worn throughout her engagement and formed part of her wedding trousseau. Helen Rose ended up designing dresses for both the civil and church ceremony.
The silk taffeta McCall dress worn to the first meeting - Grace Kelly had previously modeled it for McCall (top right image: V&A). 
Above: Bodice & skirt worn during the civil wedding ceremony (stock image: SNAP/Rex Features).
Below: shirtwaist dress from Branell, worn during the official engagement announcement (stock image: Bettman/Corbis). 
More outfits from the trousseau from mainly American designers. The Dior suit, which Kelly wore when departing for her honeymoon (above right) was an exception.In her new role as princess, Grace Kelly, like other members of European royal families, started patronizing the grand couture houses of Paris. Her approach: "Our life dictates a certain kind of wardrobe", but also "I think it is important to see the person first and the clothes afterwards". Though more extravagant, many of her designer outfits were still classy and elegant. During this time she became especially associated with the fashion house of Christian Dior, who supplied her with an array of formal but eye-catching clothes. Once again, it needs to be noted that various outfits were worn to more than one public occasion, whether it was the green Givenchy number, the polka-dot Dior gown, the Chanel suits or dazzling Balenciaga outfits.
Dresses by Hubert de Givenchy (top left, lower center) and Cristobal Balenciaga. The green dress was worn to a White House lunch with JFK/Jackie Kennedy and several times more, incl. a trip to Dublin (top right image: V&A).
Other favorite pieces included a beaded Balenciaga outfit (center), a Dior gown worn for the cover of a magazine and other occasions (left) and two Chanel pieces worn throughout her role as princess (right).
Kelly owned several dresses by Marc Bohan for Christian Dior (top left image: V&A). Also on display: a selection of gloves and shoes (lower right).
More Dior dresses. The polka dot gown (top left) was another favorite: Grace wore it at Cannes in 1970 and again in 1972 for the cover of Vogue.
Enduring IconEven as fashion and silhouettes changed in the 60s and 70s, Grace Kelly remained true to the classic, streamlined style she had favored as an actress, adapting her look only slightly to include fine jewelry and elaborate hairstyles for parties or balls. She disliked many of the new fads, such as short skirts, commenting: "After all, who has pretty knees?" further stating that she avoided ‘too blatant curves, too tight dresses, too lavish furs’. Despite other women taking the fashion lead during this time, the media never stopped paying attention to her and she was frequently featured on magazine covers. Her savvy accessorizing skills were adopted by women around the world, whether it was her love of sunglasses, the use of bright scarves and hats (to draw attention away from her pregnant belly) or the famous Hermès bag which was later named after her.
Fancy dress ball gown by Andre Levasseur (left). Sequined silk gown by Dior with a pretty incredible head piece (center, lower right). Sketches of various Grace Kelly hairstyles (top).
More dresses, incl. a black/white shirtwaist dress (top), a Dior gown (lower left), the purple Yves Saint Laurent dress she wore to a benefit gala in 1981 where she first met Princess Diana (center) and the famous 'Mondrian' dress by YSL. Small images showed Grace wearing the dresses (lower right).
Draped gowns by Madame Grès. The middle dress seemed to be rather boring, but looked spectacular on Grace herself (top right; image: Camera Press Digital).
It's all in the accessories: jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels, the famous 'Kelly' bag by Hermès, monogrammed suitcases, chic shades, more bags and a selection of hats (stock image: Corbis).While the exhibition revealed many details about Grace Kelly (did you see how tiny her waist was?) - the one thing I noticed was how worn some of the items were, whether it was the scuffs on the Hermes bag, the cracks on the shoes or the washed out look on some of the clothes. When asked why she didn't donate some of her garments to charity, Kelly replied: "I am not eager to give away my things just because they’re worn. I keep my things longer than most people [do]." She was also said to be 'loyal to her old clothes' just like she was loyal to old friends, and held on to them for sentimental reasons, stating that "I just buy clothes when they take my eye, and I wear them for years."
With regard to her clothing budget, she said "The truth is, I don’t spend a great deal of money on clothes. There are other things I’d rather use it for." - though her husband enjoyed taking her on lavish shopping trips which counterbalanced her thriftiness a little.
In a day and age when most celebrities (and others) latch on to the newest trend which sees them wearing shouldered Balmain pieces one day, then Celine capes the next only to be replaced by Burberry shearling a month later - it was incredibly refreshing to realize that someone as high-profile as Princess Grace not only stayed true to her style, but had enough common sense to re-wear outfits in public - something that is almost unheard of today. Most current celebrities expect to be gifted with the newest expensive clothes by designers or borrow them for the Red Carpet, further fueling the thought that wearing something more than once isn't really cool. But thankfully there are still reminders of how being timelessly elegant and staying thrifty can go hand-in-hand.
Official Grace Kelly exhibition site (V&A)The official book "Grace Kelly Style" can be ordered via Amazon(text sources/quotes: V&A, Daily Mail, Telegraph UK, F.Tape)
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The first looks at the entrance displayed early YSL and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
The feminine draping of Madame Grès, a favorite of Grace Kelly (1978).
More for the ladies, including Rykiel's soft knits (1974-1977) and Cacharel's Liberty prints (FW 75/76).
Hard to believe these are the works of Kaiser Karl (early to mid 70s).
Top left: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (1974). Lower left: Ter et Bantine par Chantal Thomass (1972). Center: Issey Miyake (1974). Right: Kenzo (1971-1978).
YSL's 70s art-inspired collection.
Structured and leather pieces by Claude Montana (1978).
Beyond gorgeous, the ballerina dress dating back to 1986 decorated the stairwell, while the shiny 'angel' gowns (FW 84/85) had a group of schoolgirls (and me) literally glued to the glass cases. The winged gown on the left is the same one used for the exhibition's poster shot (top of the post).
Even the black dresses were eye-catchers, especially the one in the center adorned with headlights.
The wonderful crazy world of Castelbajac including coats made of toy animals and dresses featuring giant prints (1983/84).
The most beautiful chiffon gowns...
Clean lines, structural shapes and colorful draping courtesy of Yamamoto (top left, bottom right, 1987/88), Rei Kawakubo (lower left, 1983-1989) and Miyake (center, top right, 1980).
