LONDON (AP).- Dresses that Grace Kelly wore in screen classics such as "High Society" and "Rear Window" are going on show at a London museum.
"Grace Kelly: Style Icon" at the
Victoria and Albert Museum will display the glamorous wardrobe of the Oscar winning actress-turned-princess. Exhibits include the gown Kelly wore to accept her Oscar in 1955, as well as the outfit she wore to her first meeting with her husband Prince Rainier III of Monaco later that year.
The show will trace the evolution of her style as Princess Grace of Monaco, with haute couture gowns by her favorite couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Yves St Laurent.
This exhibition explores Grace Kelly's enduring appeal as a style icon, it features her film costumes, the much-publicised dresses made for her trousseau and wedding, and the French haute couture - a different kind of costume - that she required for her subsequent role as Princess of Monaco.
When people think of Grace Kelly (1929-82), one of the most photographed women of the 20th century, what they usually recall is her beauty and elegance. She rose to fame as an actress in the 1950s, starring in films by Hitchcock and others. Her image was cultivated by the movie industry, which fed cinema-goers' growing appetite for pictures of glamorous stars through magazines and newspapers. The types varied, from voluptuous sirens and 'sweater girls' to the girl next door. The young Grace Kelly seemed to combine both qualities: wholesome, but distinctly glamorous at the same time.
She came to symbolise the classic, understated look she wore both on and off screen. Grace Kelly became known for her impeccable dress sense. This exhibition explores, through her surviving clothes, the story of her transformation from Hollywood actress to a princess of one of Europe's oldest royal families. Examining her enduring appeal as a style icon, it features her film costumes, the much-publicised dresses made for her trousseau and wedding, and the French haute couture - a different kind of costume - that she required for her subsequent role as Princess of Monaco.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
