London has hundreds of museums to visit, including a few fashion museums. If you google “fashion museums in London” the Victoria & Albert Museum will be highlighted. The Victoria & Albert (V&A) is my favorite London museum and is worth a visit. With four massive floors of exhibits, it can be very overwhelming if you are aimlessly wandering around. I recently visited the museum to gather up-to-date information to create this insider’s guide to finding fashion at the V&A.
This is not a 2021 museum guide without mentioning Covid-19. The V&A recommends that patrons wear a mask while visiting and 90% of people were wearing one when I visited. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5:45 pm. I booked a free entrance time slot in advance; however, no one checked my ticket upon entrance. It doesn’t hurt to book a time slot if you plan to visit during the weekends, but if you find yourself without a ticket, do not worry, you will most likely be allowed in.
You enter the museum from exhibition road and will be met with a lobby. On the left-hand side will be the current exhibit that you have to pay to enter (currently there is an Alice in Wonderland Exhibit). On the right-hand side is the entrance to the main museum. Continue into the main museum and the main fashion exhibit will be on your right. The Victoria & Albert Museum has a constant fashion exhibit consisting of European fashion, fabrics, and accessories from 1750 to the present time. Inside the fashion exhibit, you will also find a smaller, ever-changing, pay-for-entry exhibit. Currently, there is an exhibit being run on handbags. I have never purchased entry into the smaller fashion exhibit as there is so much in the museum to see for free, but if you are really interested in the temporary exhibit I would give it a go.
On the left are a few of my favorite pieces from the fashion exhibit. The sandals pictured are from 1937-38. The evening dress pictured is by Pierre Balmain from 1954 and is hand-painted silk satin. The sweaters on the bottom left are present-day cardigans that inspired a viral DIY challenge. Harry Styles wore the frontmost patchwork cardigan in February 2020 and started a viral trend where people made their own DIY patchwork cardigans during the original Covid-19 lockdowns.
The beauty of fashion is that it is everywhere and everyone has worn clothing for what seems like forever. Once you are done looking at the main fashion exhibit I recommend checking out the South Asia exhibit next door. This exhibit highlights many textiles and clothing and has a rich history. Also on the first floor, you will find the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean exhibits. These are great exhibits to check out if you love textiles. Venture up to the second floor for the jewelry exhibit. This is an amazing exhibit to check out, and everyone knows that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. I also recommend walking through the stained glass hallway on the second floor which will lead you to the exquisite small box collection. Throughout the museum, you will also find an expansive collection of wedding attire worn throughout the centuries from different cultures.
This artifact is from the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). It is called Jogakbo and is made from leftover scraps of fabric. I find it fascinating how this idea of “upcycling” old textiles into new items is still being pursued today. When I think about how this idea has been around for hundreds of years it feels like we have barely made any progress in the fashion industry. This could also be a prime example of how old ways always come back around (upcycling is popular once again). Find this piece in the Korean exhibit on the ground floor of the museum.
Fashion is everywhere, and it is everywhere in the Victoria & Albert Museum. It is hard to view the entire museum in one day; however, if this is your plan, I recommend arriving early and breaking for lunch at the museum cafe. The food looks amazing, just be prepared to pay museum prices. The interior of the cafe looks historical just like the museum itself, or take your food outside into the large courtyard in the center of the museum. If you are going to the V&A Museum solely in search of fashion, this guide should help you navigate your visit and keep you from getting lost.
View the interactive digital map here: V&A Map
XO, Alicia
Thank you for the interesting walk through the museum. I was surprised to see the colorful sweaters as I happened to be wearing my very old sweater that caught my eye many years ago. Quiet colors but same idea of the squares! What “goes around, comes around” and this time much brighter!
Great description of the walk through of V&A Museum. Love the jogakbo dress and the idea of recycling fabric.