‘The best thing was that I was allowed to go into Blenheim’s archive. If only my cupboards looked like that’
Alice Temperley
Displayed among the priceless collections of furniture and tapestries, objets d’art and gilt-framed oil paintings of Blenheim Palace are mannequins draped in some of the most exquisite designs of British fashion.
Voluminous ballgowns and shimmering sequinned frocks, fine tailored suits, towering platform shoes and showstopping headpieces take pride of place against the baroque grandeur of one of the UK’s greatest stately homes, which is showcasing the work of 12 world-class designers and labels, including two beloved by the Queen and the Princess of Wales.
“It’s more palatial than any other palace I’ve been in,” says Bruce Oldfield, designer of Her Majesty’s coronation gown, as well as many other items in her wardrobe.
“If you think about the kind of environments my clothes inhabit, it’s an obvious venue for me to show my wares.”
‘I was incredibly flattered
