Johannes Reponen, Global Academic Director, Vogue College of Fashion
Dirty Looks
Barbican
September 25, 2025 – January 25, 2026
One exhibition I highly recommend is Dirty Looks at the Barbican, which takes a bold and thought-provoking stance on fashion’s relationship to beauty and ideals of perfection. Traditionally, fashion has been bound to notions of polish, elegance and cleanliness—where clothes and images are designed to present flawless surfaces. Dirty Looks turns this on its head, exploring the aesthetics of dirt, imperfection and the abject as a critical practice.
The exhibition examines how what is often hidden, rejected or deemed undesirable—from bodily traces to cultural taboos—can become a site of creativity, resistance and alternative forms of beauty. In doing so, it invites us to rethink the cultural codes that shape fashion and appearance, offering a raw, subversive and refreshingly honest perspective. For anyone interested in how fashion intersects with art, identity and politics, Dirty Looks is not to be missed.
Marie Antoinette Style
Victoria and Albert Museum
Through March 22, 2026
Where Dirty Looks revels in mess, imperfection and the subversive power of what is usually hidden, Marie Antoinette Style offers an entirely different take on fashion’s spectacle. This exhibition celebrates one of history’s most iconic dressers, a queen whose image was defined by opulence, excess and theatrical performance.
Through exquisite gowns, portraits and contemporary reinterpretations, the show reveals how Marie Antoinette’s fashion choices shaped 18th-century culture and continue to resonate in today’s imagination, influencing designers such as Manolo Blahnik, John Galliano and Lanvin. It also invites visitors to reflect on the politics of dress—how clothing can construct identity, communicate power and even seal a person’s fate. For those intrigued by the intersections of fashion, history and myth-making, Marie Antoinette Style offers a richly layered and visually dazzling experience.
Hannah Shakir, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice Course Leader, Vogue College of Fashion, London
Gianni Versace Retrospective
Arches London Bridge
July 16, 2025 – March 1, 2026
The Versace exhibition gives you a front-row seat to one of the most influential fashion houses of our time. A brand that screams excitement and attitude, Versace is known for bold aesthetics, celebrity associations, unforgettable media moments and unapologetic glamor. Experiencing the garments and campaigns up close encourages you to think about how fashion conveys power, aspiration and luxury, and how narrative and image combine to build a truly global brand.
Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s
Design Museum
September 20, 2025 – March 29, 2026
The 1980s remain one of the most exciting decades of the 20th century for fashion and culture and their impact on trends, even in contemporary cultural scenes. This exhibition explores how the Blitz club scene became a defining moment in British subcultural style. Fashion, nightlife and media collided to create something rebellious, visual and unforgettable. Attendees get a glimpse into how styling and self-expression can become powerful tools of communication, shaping not only fashion storytelling but also identity itself.
Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World
National Portrait Gallery
October 9, 2025 – January 11, 2026
Cecil Beaton is one of the most important fashion photographers of the 20th century whose photography and stage design are still essential references for understanding imagery, portraiture and the construction of public personas. This exhibition shows the artistry of his work and the way he blurred the boundaries between documentary and performance. It’s a reminder of how visual language communicates status, style and fantasy—themes that sit at the very heart of fashion today.
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