Date published: 2026-04-29 | Category: Heritage
From Vivienne Westwood’s punk‑era designs to Schiaparelli couture once worn by royalty, remarkable pieces from Fashion Museum Bath’s collection will be on show in leading exhibitions across the UK and Europe this summer.
Recognised as one of the world’s leading collections of fashion, Fashion Museum Bath’s Collection spans more than 400 years. While the Museum undergoes an ambitious transformation and relocation to a new home in the centre of Bath, its global reach continues to grow through an active loans programme that places exceptional garments in some of the most high‑profile exhibitions of the year. In 2025 alone over 500,000 people saw pieces from the collection on loan.
This season’s loans include five rare Schiaparelli looks being shown in a landmark V&A exhibition, early Westwood ensembles on display at The Bowes Museum, and a show‑stopping Lucile gown at V&A Dundee. Fashion Museum Bath is also facilitating the loan of exquisite 17th‑century gloves to France for an exhibition on equestrian style.
Elisabeth Murray, Senior Curator at Fashion Museum Bath, said:
“We’re pleased to be lending pieces from Fashion Museum’s collection to such fantastic exhibitions. From an 1820s riding habit to exquisite Schiaparelli worn including pieces worn by Molly, Rani of Pudukkotai, we’re delighted more people will be able to encounter this incredible Collection.”
In Spring/Summer 2026 pieces from the Fashion Museum Bath Collection feature in the following exhibitions:
Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary
The Bowes Museum, 28 March – 06 September 2026
This exhibition explores Vivienne Westwood’s legacy as a radical force in fashion, tracing her evolution from punk provocateur to global icon. Fashion Museum Bath is lending two early designs that capture the energy and experimentation of her formative years, including a white, grey and red printed cotton shift dress from around 1978–1980 and a striking 1981 ensemble comprising a black cotton‑mix jacket with yellow polka‑dot sleeve inserts, matching trousers and an orange‑and‑black printed jersey top and stockings.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
V&A South Kensington, 28 March – 08 November 2026
Celebrating Elsa Schiaparelli’s bold, imaginative and often surreal approach to couture, this exhibition highlights her collaborations with artists and her flair for sculptural silhouettes. Five exceptional garments from Fashion Museum Bath will be featured, including a black silk ‘waffle’ dress with gold cellulose‑disc hood worn by Molly, Rani of Pudukkottai; a white and silver thread dress with a velvet coat and ceramic mermaid button worn to the 1937 Coronation; an evening dress and cape in plum crepe de chine and velvet; an embroidered green silk velvet jacket and dress; and a black felt hat trimmed with corded silk and cockerel feathers.
Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show
V&A Dundee, 03 April 2026 – 17 January 2027
Focusing on the spectacle and innovation of the runway, this exhibition charts the evolution of the fashion show from the late 19th century to today. Fashion Museum Bath is contributing four key pieces: a 1911 Lucile gown in blue silk and metal damask with a dramatic metal‑embellished net train; a House of Worth grey crepe de chine bodice and skirt with appliqué lace from around 1899; a prune‑coloured ‘wet‑look’ coat and hat ensemble designed by Mary Quant in 1963; and a Spring/Summer 1999 ready‑to‑wear ensemble by Alexander McQueen featuring a cream lace dress paired with a moulded leather collar.
Amazons! Horse Women and Fashion Icons
Musée de la Mode et du Costume, Arles, 22 May – 20 September 2026
Exploring the relationship between women, horsemanship and style, this exhibition brings together riding dress and equestrian‑inspired fashion across centuries. Fashion Museum Bath is lending an elegant riding habit dating from 1825–1829, featuring a dark cream cotton bodice and skirt with decorative pleating. The Museum is also facilitating the loan of two rare pairs of 17th-century men’s riding gloves which are on long-term loan to the Fashion Museum from the Glove Collection Trust: one pair in brown leather, embroidered in cream silk with gold metal thread fringe, and a second pair in suede with intricate pink, white and silver ribbon loops.
-
As Fashion Museum Bath moves closer to its new home in the centre of Bath, these loans reflect the richness, diversity and international significance of its Collection, ensuring audiences continue to connect with fashion history while the Museum undergoes its transformation.
Councillor Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:
“These loans show the extraordinary calibre of the Fashion Museum Bath Collection and why it deserves a world‑class new home in the city centre. Partnering with such respected cultural institutions strengthens Bath’s reputation on the international fashion stage and allows our Collection to shine while its new museum takes shape.”
For all objects currently on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath collection visit - https://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/fashion-museum-objects-tour