Inspired by Exhibitions & Culture
Since emerging from the earlier and most intensive years of parenting, and the pandemic, I made a promise to myself, to lean into my creativity. In addition to my own practical pursuits, I visited more exhibitions and here I contemplate some of the galleries I visited and reflect on their impact and influence.
Gabrielle Chanel Fashion Manifesto
VI C T O R I A & A L B E R T M U S E U M
4th March 2024
“The first UK exhibition dedicated to the work of French couturière, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel. It chartered the establishment of the House of Chanel and the evolution of her iconic design style which continues to influence the way women dress today.”
Looking back, perhaps this was the start!!
I only just managed to squeeze in this exhibition before it closed in Spring 2024, and I had a wonderful day with my sister-in-law. At this point, Tuesday’s Bride was not even a conception and so it is interesting to look back at my photos from the day to see what particularly caught my eye.
It’s no surprise now to see that my camera roll is full if images of gowns and garments in hues of creams, whites, golds and pale nudes. I gazed at the textures and effects of fabrics neighbouring one another, and the drape and fall of buttermilk satin. Surprised by the finest chiffon being manipulated with detail and line work, to build soft contours and provide rhythmic texture. I marvelled at the complexity and detail in bead and lace work and considered the luminous qualities to the lamés in Coco’s later works. The tones and intricacies within the garments inspired my artworks at the time, and looking back, surely sewed a seed of an idea that grew into what would become Tuesday’s Bride. This Chanel exhibition made its mark in a beautifully subconscious and organic way, unfurling my deep appreciation for detail and beauty in a very particular direction.
Sargent and Fashion
T A T E B R I T I A N, L O N D O N
7th June 2024
“Celebrated for his striking portrait paintings, this exhibition sheds new light on John Singer Sargent’s acclaimed works. It explores how he worked like a stylist to craft the image of the sitters he painted, who he often had close relationships with.
Sargent used fashion as a powerful tool to express identity and personality. He regularly chose the outfits of his collaborators or manipulated their clothing. This innovative use of costume was central to his artwork – for example, tugging a heavy coat tighter around a man to emphasise his figure or letting a dress strap sensuously slip from a woman’s shoulder. It was these daring sartorial choices that allowed him to express his vision as an artist.
Almost 60 of Sargent’s paintings will be on display, including major portraits that rarely travel. Several period garments will also be showcased alongside the portraits they were worn in. The show examines how this remarkable painter used fashion to create portraits of the time, which still captivate today.”
This exhibition blew me away. The feeling that came with the observing the artworks true scale and true colour (as opposed to versions seen in print or online), was surprising and impressive. One painting, ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’ was familiar as a print which hung from my grandma and grandad’s home. The luminous lanterns and the innocence of the white begowned children, to me carried a nostalgic heir of ‘sweetness’, an older version of chintz. However, hanging large on the gallery wall, within a heavy and ornate guilt frame, the image carried an entirely different feel. Despite the calmness of the scene, I felt such a fresh energy by seeing the true colours that made the lanterns glow, the vibrant greens in the foliage and the almost simplistic background and underpainted flowers.
It was interesting to view the brushstrokes at close quarters and see the texture of the paint alongside the actual costumes depicted, there in real life. Whereas the Chanel exhibition presented garments in exquisite and breath-taking reality, the Sargent paintings portrayed them in a magical way. Leaving space and romance to fill in the gaps between the paintings and the reality. To study and see how simple brushstrokes created lustre and luminous qualities was almost mind bending. How intricate lace can be depicted so clearly, yet on examination, merely with simple strokes in carefully depicted tones. The brain connects the impression of delicate lace with the expectation and knowledge of it. Reading more around the exhibition and Sargent as an artist, there is also the interesting concept that these portraits were commissioned almost as self-publicity or self-marketing, much like the modern-day idea of a cultivated digital image on social media. The messaging that these artworks delivered was central to their prominence. That kind of simulated and conscious styling for outward signalling can be seen on a scale. On one end, the highly manipulated presentation, driven by an aim to be seen by others in a certain way, and the other end of a scale, an authentic expression of the self. Choosing a wedding dress can be a difficult choice as factors can add a pressure. Whilst seeking that connection of a dress feeling perfectly aligned with oneself, a bride may also feel a pressure to fit a ‘look’ or a theme. We all have so many facets, choosing which aspect to lean into can feel at the expense at others. What version does the bride wish to be on the day?! Additionally, considering the enduring impressions captured in wedding photographs, there is a sense of awareness as to how one wants to be seen when looking back. I am so proud of the collection at Tuesday’s Bride, I have a confidence that the range, quality and timeless elegance will make each brides choice simply joyful. There is an intrinsic authenticity and personality within each piece and I feel that this supports our brides in making choices that will always feel ‘right’ rather than ‘correct’.
Within the exhibition, I found it intriguing to read about the subjects, and to try and understand their context in society and history. Most of the portraits came from great wealth, their history and stories preserved within the oil paint. For the gowns I source for Tuesday’s Bride, there is rarely such a full and clear record of context. I’m endlessly intrigued by the lost identities of the women who wore the dresses that I now preserve. I also enjoy the nostalgic anonymity is so rare in today’s recorded and digitised world. Sometimes, gowns come with fragments of their past. A photograph, a name, a story. This bridge with the past, and particularly women from the past, however faint or clear, is one of the many deep rooted pleasures behind Tuesday’s Bride and the dresses I feel fortunate to bring into the future.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance
T H E K I N G ‘ S G A L L E R Y, L O N D O N
20th January 2025
“The Renaissance period saw a dramatic transformation in the way that artists worked, with a new-found appreciation for creativity pushing artistic boundaries. Drawing became central to this development, evolving from an essential tool of workshop practice to an exciting art form in its own right.
This exhibition brings together the widest range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period ever to be shown in the UK. Exploring the diversity and accomplishment of drawing across Italy between 1450 and 1600, the exhibition will feature around 160 works by over 80 artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian alongside lesser-known artists, all drawn from the Royal Collection, which holds one of the world’s greatest collections of Italian Renaissance drawings.”
In early 2025, I had a visit to The Kings gallery with my sister, mum, and dad to see an exhibition of Renaissance drawings. At this point, I was attending weekly life drawing classes and so studying these master drawings up close and in real life was, of course, incredible as well as pertinent. I have always been drawn to classical sepia toned human form studies. I have images in my mind from childhood that my sister and I copied with our prized Caran d’Ache crayons! I recall that as an A level art student, preparing for a career in physiotherapy, I was drawn to images showcasing form and anatomical accuracy with grace and delicacy. I remember doing multiple ‘Gray’s Anatomy’ style etchings and studying the Renaissance masters.
There is something remarkable and alluring about the ability to capture and convey so much understanding and feeling with restrained materials and tones. It is the same refined beauty that emerges from the talent behind the craftsmanship in the gowns I seek. To me they evoke so much grace and elegance. The fabrics are cut so beautifully, they fall and skim in the most gently beautiful way and capture a special quality that is only enhanced by time.
Flowers. Fauna in Contemporary art
S A A T C H I G A L L E R Y
15th April 2025
“Immerse yourself in the beauty, symbolism, and creative power of flowers. This exhibition reveals the myriad ways that flowers continue to be depicted by artists and their omnipresence within our contemporary culture. Occupying two floors and over nine major gallery spaces, this exhibition features large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design exploring the ongoing influence of flowers on creativity and human expression.
Aside from studies of their inherent beauty and drama, flowers are also utilised as symbols, signifiers or metaphors for human emotions and impulses. Flora lies at the heart of myths and stories that inform our cultural outlook and language. Recognised as unparalleled objects of beauty in nature, artists continue to evoke the power and beauty of flora to convey a multitude of messages and meanings.”
It was a joy to see this exhibition with my daughter. Varied and vibrant, there was something for everyone to appreciate. The showstopper for us was the ceiling hung installation by Rebecca Louise Law, made up of over 100,000 dried flowers. The most beautiful ‘chandelier’ that gently cascaded down in delicate floral tendrils. I adored the shadows cast on the outer walls and the preserved delicate individual elements that made the ‘whole’ so impressive. My mind was tuned to developing Tuesday’s Bride by this point and the ‘feeling’ in this space was something I took away with me. I hope people have a similar feeling when they visit the studio, a gentle pleasure just by being in a space with beautiful, delicate, individual, and preserved elements.
I also particularly enjoyed seeing two silk and ink works by Alphonse Mucha. La Rose and Le Lys. I am drawn to many works by Mucha. I love the iconic balance of feminine forms, entwined with florals and soft graphical touches. Contrast is something I’m striving for at Tuesday’s Bride, balancing contemporary appeal with the beauty of bygone eras.
There was an interesting section with designer couture and some incredible floral headwear as well as textile art, all which felt very inspiring. It was a fabulous exhibition, and I wasn’t surprised to hear later that it got extended.
The Edwardians. Age of Elegance
T H E K I N G ‘ S G A L L E R Y
23rd June 2025
“Explore the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age through the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives and personal collecting to their glittering social circles and spectacular royal events.
More than 300 objects from the Royal Collection are on display – almost half for the first time – including works by the most renowned contemporary artists of the period, including Carl Fabergé, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Rosa Bonheur, John Singer Sargent and William Morris.
The exhibition covers the period from Edward and Alexandra's wedding in 1863 up to the end of the First World War”
Utilising the brilliant annual entry ticket, we (my mum, dad and sister) returned on the 23rd June 2025. Some Edwardian dresses in my collection are my personal favourites so I was very excited to see this Edwardian centred exhibition.
It was a varied collection of radiant paintings, opulent jewellery and objects, elaborate Coronation dress and evocative photographs. This exhibition encapsulated the grandeur and glamour of regal Edwardian times. Polished, poised, and saturated with the finest artisan work. Such wealth and high-status collections can leave me feeling disconnected in the lack of relatability. What challenged me here was a screen made up of card photographs of Edward and Alexandra’s ‘circle’. I was drawn to look at the women’s faces, consider their poses and dress initially and from there try and read their personality from the photographs, trying to see beyond any staging and the objects of their wealth. The collection at Tuesday’s Bride is full of opportunity to wonder and the unanswered details of a backstory is a theme that deepens my lure to garments from history. Gowns do that have a trail of provenance feel like magical discoveries. At Tuesday’s Bride, I hope to facilitate an enduring story.
I loved sharing these gallery experiences with my family. I have always been grateful for opportunity to access culture and connect with history and art. I get great delight in certain objects, artworks and pieces that resonate with something I feel is inherently beautiful and linked with artisan makers. Tuesday’s Bride comes from a place of delight, respect, reverence, care, pride, and a wish to share that through gentle celebration and connection.
Amy x
