By Julia Robson
The countdown to New York’s super-glamorous Met Ball – on 7 May – has begun. The blogosphere is bristling with reports of who is taking who and who is wearing what (we hear Carey Mulligan is in Prada and Coco Rocha in Givenchy by the way). But, besides a stellar cast of supermodels, ‘It’ girls, A-list designers, actresses and fashion supremos, the real stars of the event will be ballgowns, or at least dressy eveningwear, because the annual Anna Wintour-hosted Costume Institute Benefit is about as glamorous as it gets.
Coco Rocha in a Giles SS07 gown, by Tim Walker
But don’t worry if you can’t make it to the event this time around: this year, the only red-carpet event to rival the Oscars will be live streamed. Look out to see if the Surrealist theme of the accompanying show, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, also sets a few new eveningwear trends.
But it’s not only New York that is off to the ball. As all eyes swivel to London this Olympics year, the V&A, one of the fashion’s favourite museums, is staging a show dedicated to the subject. Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, will showcase more than 60 fabulous frocks tracing 60 years of British eveningwear. Fittingly, in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, there are ballgowns by Norman Hartnell designed for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, along with dresses that contributed historically to British fashion ‘moments’, such as Princess Diana’s ‘Elvis dress’ designed by Catherine Walker. Of course, the exhibition which spans two floors of the newly refurbished fashion galleries, brings matters bang up to date with favourite Matches designers including Jonathan Saunders, Alexander McQueen, Giles and Erdem.
- A Roksanda design from 2009
These latter have put the English capital on the map once again in terms of ballgowns and eveningwear; London was considered a world leader in the late 1950s and early 60s’and you can see why with collectors pieces by court-coutouriers like Victor Stiebel, an Cambridge University architecture-trained couturier who dressed Princess Margaret, amongst others and is well worth investigating.
A 2008 design by Erdem
So what to wear for the ball, or any fabulous occasion that requires something truly special, right now? Spring/Summer 2012 is the perfect season for standout evening investment pieces by superleague players including Lanvin and Azzedine Alaia, as well as London-based Roksanda Ilincic, Alexander McQueen and Erdem. Met Ball guests might want to consider McQueen’s blush pink and silver embellished ‘barnacle’ dress; Dolce & Gabbana’s strapless rosy pink lace strapless shift; Halston Heritage’s off-shoulder poppy red slink and L’Wren Scott’s white silk-chiffon and crepe long-sleeved dress. Choose from short to mid to long-length gowns from Stella McCartney’s ultra sexy ‘Fitzroy’ one-sleeved printed silk, already a celebrity favourite, to the breathtaking silver sequined ‘Yazhi’ floor length number by DVF; and Osman’s white cape back modernist dress. Find our full edit of the gowns to wear now in You Shall Go To The Ball.
Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations runs from 10 May to 19 August 2012
Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 runs from 19 May 2012 – 6 January 2013 at the V&A