Marie Antoinette Style: A Celebration of the Queen of Fashion and Taste
In the heart of London, the iconic Victoria & Albert Museum houses one of the world's richest and most diverse collections, particularly in the fields of fashion and textiles. From 20th September 2025 to 22nd March 2026, the museum, driven by its dedication to the power of creativity, presents a must-see exhibition on the lasting influence of the most fashionable queen in history: Marie Antoinette.
Titled Marie Antoinette: Style, this highly anticipated exhibition - notable for the quality of exceptional loans granted by the Palace of Versailles - presents a spectacular journey through extraordinary pieces. It pays tribute to the fascinating historical figure, celebrated as much for her tragic fate as for her decisive influence on fashion, taste and the decorative arts.
Annalise, French Pink, Watts 1874
Versailles, Rose Gold, Watts 1874
Sumptuous embroidered silk dresses, majestic trains, glittering diamond necklaces, and precious shoes belonging to Louis XVI's wife: nearly 250 outfits and objects allow visitors to explore Marie Antoinette's refined taste and her influence on the arts and crafts of her time.
The exhibition's curator, Sarah Grant, a specialist in the 18th century, paints a portrait of Marie Antoinette as a true influencer ahead of her time, whose style continues to enrich contemporary creation, from fashion to interior design. The exhibition brings a British perspective to a timeless French icon, the last queen of a kingdom whose elegance remains a universal reference.
This exhibition also provides an opportunity to revisit the iconic movie Marie Antoinette (2006) by American film director Sofia Coppola, which will soon be remastered. With its pop aesthetic and sumptuous sets, this film has greatly contributed to shaping the contemporary myth of the last queen of France, an icon of both freedom and visionary refinement.
Speaking on the exhibition, Sarah Grant, curator of Marie Antoinette: Style said:
“The most fashionable, scrutinised and controversial queen in history, Marie Antoinette’s name summons both visions of excess and objects and interiors of great beauty.”
Marinella, Celeste Blue, Watts 1874
Watts 1874: A Royal Tea Time at the Chelsea Design Centre
Inspired by this exhibition, our team at Watts 1874 has delved into our rich archives to find fabrics and trimmings inspired by the style of the most fashionable queen in history.
The Victoria & Albert Museum, which has the largest collection of textiles in the United Kingdom, has maintained a creative dialogue with us for many years, focusing on antique patterns and 18th-century tapestries.
To celebrate Marie-Antoinette Style, we organised a photo shoot featuring an elegant afternoon tea in our Chelsea Design Centre showroom, paying a delicate tribute to both French elegance and the art of English afternoon tea. During this exceptional tea party, guests enjoyed sweet treats and fragrant teas in a colourful setting reminiscent of the splendour of the Petit Trianon and the gourmet scenes from Sofia Coppola's film. A taste of history with a touch of Versailles.
Pastel ribbons, bouquets of flowers, lace and shimmering silks created an exquisitely delicate setting where refinement and beauty reigned supreme.
Alicia, Oyster Pink, Watts 1874
The Marie Antoinette Style, an Eternal Inspiration
Her style remains an infinite source of inspiration. Jewellers, shoe designers, interior designers and pastry chefs continue to reinvent today her world through capsule collections, where pearls, ribbons, flowers and powdery shades evoke the sweetness of the 18th century.
Shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, who created the shoes worn by Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola's film, reinterprets the Queen's shoes, while Ladurée, Maison de Haute Pâtisserie française, founded in Paris in 1862, presents its iconic macarons in a pastel dream box; its design is drawn from 18th-century archives, where refined silks, floral motifs, and ornamental crowns intertwine.
Thanks to the success of this exhibition and the many creative initiatives that accompany it, Queen Marie Antoinette is once again, more than ever, the embodiment of French taste and style, an eternal muse and fashion icon celebrated on both sides of the Channel. At Watts, we just love revisiting some of our most iconic designs that still resonate with today’s trends.
Versailles, Rose Gold, Watts 1874, Palace of Versailles
Inspiration from Vogue Magazine, September 2006
Written by Laure de Dampierre, edited by Molly Wraith