'There But for the Grace of Grace'

She was the ultimate Hollywood screen icon who became a true Princess. An Oscar winning actress, Grace Kelly was the golden girl of the 1950's and true to her name, she was the epitome of style and grace.



This April the V&A will celebrate her life and her style with the exhibition 'Grace Kelly - Style Icon', which will showcase hand-picked gowns from her legendary wardrobe. Since her death in 1982 Kelly's understated all-American style has been largely celebrated. Many labelled her indefinable, some simply said she was comfortable in her own skin; she favoured classic, clean, simple lines and her pearls and feminine white gloves were her trademark items.

When I was a young girl I would sit for hours with my mother, watching her lose herself in the magic that Kelly created on screen. A girl herself when these films were first made, she grew up idolising this incomparable beauty, and would sit through 'High Society' and 'The Country Girl' over and over again.


It is perhaps my mother's fault then, that I myself prefer old Hollywood glamour icons such as Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe over the leading ladies who grace our screens today. It is a well known joke amoungst my family that I was born in the wrong era; I have a passion for the films, the music and even the fashion of decades such as the 1940's and 1950's.

It will come as no surprise to learn that I am inexplicably and uncontrollably excited to view the V&A's new exhibition. Tracing the evolution of her style from Hollywoods most popular actress to her life as Princess Grace of Monaco, the exhibition will display over fifty of Kelly's outfits, together with her hats and jewellery. To my delight the original Hermès Kelly bag will also be on show, although I sadly no longer feel the passion I once did for this bag. For me, it's name has been sullied by the likes of Victoria Beckham dangling it so casually off her bony arm.

There is one outfit I am keen to view more than any other, and I cannot say for certain that I will be able to control myself when finally confronted by Kelly's legendary wedding gown. Hand-made from antique Valenciennes rose point lace, twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and ninety eight yards of tulle, and with a veil covered in appliquéd lace lovebirds and thousands of seed pearls, I have a feeling the sheer beauty of this one of a kind gown will leave me breathless.


I am uncertain as to exactly what it is about women such as Grace Kelly that fascinates me. Her classic beauty is something that has yet to be bettered, and the simplicity of her poise and style will never go out of fashion. She was the seemingly unattainable screen goddess who married her own real life Prince Charming. Her 'Stye Icon' exhibition looks on track to be one of the most exquisite I have ever seen. To be given the opportunity to wander amoung the personal belongings of one of my icons absolutely excites me. Now there's only the small matter of how on earth I'm expected to control my excitement until April, and what am I going to wear?