Marriage à la Mode – Wedding Dresses 1780s to 1980s
Marriage à la Mode, Wedding Dresses, 1780s to 1980s:
Exhibition of bridalwear from the Olive Matthews Collection of Dress and Textiles, Chertsey Museum
13th September 2025 until 5th September 2026
This exhibition features beautiful examples of women’s wedding gowns dating from over 200 years of dress history. The garments displayed show the progression of wedding fashions through the ages. The exhibition features many important pieces, including a unique 1780s wedding ensemble with hat and shoes, and a stunning 1930s gown by the prestigious designer Norman Hartnell. The dresses and accessories showcase incredible workmanship and lavish display, but they also reveal much more. They allow us to observe the tastes and preferences of individual brides, with each woman marking this most memorable of days in her own way. They all hail from the Olive Matthews Collection of fashionable dress, a nationally significant fashion collection, which is housed at Chertsey Museum.
Commenting on the exhibition, Grace Evans, Keeper of Costume, said:
“I am incredibly fortunate to have the privilege of working with the Olive Matthews Collection. I am particularly fond of our outstanding collection of wedding dresses, and it has been a pleasure to select and display these beautiful pieces. Many of them are displayed alongside pictures of the brides themselves, as well as accompanying accessories. The exhibition will be a feast for the eyes, and an inspiration for would-be brides as they search for their own special gown.”
Marriage à la Mode will be on view until 5th September 2026.
Note to Editors:
The Olive Matthews Collection features many items of national significance. It contains over 6,000 items of men’s, women’s and children’s fashionable clothes dating from c.1600 to the present. They help to reveal the history of dress and textiles throughout the centuries, highlighting changes in style, fashion and fabrics. The collection trustees work in partnership with Runnymede Borough Council to display items from the collection including an annual fashion exhibition funded by the trust.
For further information, please contact Grace Evans, Keeper of Costume, on:
Tel 01932 575373 Email dress@chertseymuseum.org.uk
Marriage à la Mode, Wedding Dresses, 1780s to 1980s:
Exhibition of bridalwear from the Olive Matthews Collection of Dress and Textiles, Chertsey Museum
13th September 2025 until 5th September 2026
This exhibition features beautiful examples of women’s wedding gowns dating from over 200 years of dress history. The garments displayed show the progression of wedding fashions through the ages. The exhibition features many important pieces, including a unique 1780s wedding ensemble with hat and shoes, and a stunning 1930s gown by the prestigious designer Norman Hartnell. The dresses and accessories showcase incredible workmanship and lavish display, but they also reveal much more. They allow us to observe the tastes and preferences of individual brides, with each woman marking this most memorable of days in her own way. They all hail from the Olive Matthews Collection of fashionable dress, a nationally significant fashion collection, which is housed at Chertsey Museum.
Commenting on the exhibition, Grace Evans, Keeper of Costume, said:
“I am incredibly fortunate to have the privilege of working with the Olive Matthews Collection. I am particularly fond of our outstanding collection of wedding dresses, and it has been a pleasure to select and display these beautiful pieces. Many of them are displayed alongside pictures of the brides themselves, as well as accompanying accessories. The exhibition will be a feast for the eyes, and an inspiration for would-be brides as they search for their own special gown.”
Marriage à la Mode will be on view until 5th September 2026.
Note to Editors:
The Olive Matthews Collection features many items of national significance. It contains over 6,000 items of men’s, women’s and children’s fashionable clothes dating from c.1600 to the present. They help to reveal the history of dress and textiles throughout the centuries, highlighting changes in style, fashion and fabrics. The collection trustees work in partnership with Runnymede Borough Council to display items from the collection including an annual fashion exhibition funded by the trust.
For further information, please contact Grace Evans, Keeper of Costume, on:
Tel 01932 575373 Email dress@chertseymuseum.org.uk