V&A Museum Highlights: Marie Antoinette and the Art of Timeless Design
A couple of weeks ago, while in London for the London Design Social Pop-Up, I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Marie Antoinette style exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum and I’m so glad I did. With half-term approaching, it’s worth a special mention: if you have children who love design or fashion, take them. And if you’re the design enthusiast, and London is within reach, you simply must go.
The Marie Antoinette exhibition is a feast for the eyes, showcasing the French queen’s extraordinary style through garments, fabric fragments, and accessories, from her teenage debut at the French court to her fatal final years. Fearlessly avant-garde, Marie Antoinette’s taste continues to influence fashion, textile design, and furniture design nearly 250 years later.
Among the most jaw dropping pieces are gowns crafted from chiné silk, where warp threads were resist-dyed before weaving to create that beautifully soft, blurred look — pink flowers floating on clouds of silk. So chic. So timeless.
Every detail feels deeply symbolic and feminine: trimmings dripping with feathers, gold thread, and buttons, and embroidered fragments featuring delicate peacock feathers. Alongside the expected florals and oodles of bows, there were elegant stripes, illuminated brocades, and even a leopard-print ribbon design which I’m pretty sure has been reinterpreted every single decade since her death.
Adding to the wonder, the exhibition also displays some of Marie Antoinette’s jewellery, which she had apparently sent out of the country before she was arrested. Much of it being shown publicly for the first time. Can you believe that?
Those diamond bows — be still my beating heart....
To top and tail it off you will also see some of the hats that were designed for her and oh the shoes…. No wonder so many of the chicest fashion designers of our time have had their collections infused by styles that were made popular by Marie Antoinette so many years ago.
But it was one particular dress that stopped me in my tracks: a small-scale Indienne floral pattern, delicate yet full of life. These textiles originally inspired by Indian block prints became all the rage in 18th-century France, perfectly capturing the queen’s love of nature, romance, and artisanal beauty.
There is so much more to discover at this exhibition for anyone passionate about design. From the delicate florals gracing dinner plates and the endlessly en vogue toile de Jouy patterns, to an entire room devoted to Marie Antoinette fashion reinterpretations for theatre and film every detail is a masterclass in artistry and imagination.
Apparently, there’s even a soft trace of her favourite scent diffused through the rooms. I must confess, I missed that part entirely perhaps my eyes were too busy feasting on silks and embroidery to give my nose a chance!
A true gem of an exhibition, immersive, inspiring, and a must-see for designers and dreamers alike.
As you might know, I’ve long had a love affair with Indienne designs, having reimagined an archival pattern into our own Indienne floral wallpapers. So, it feels wonderfully serendipitous to be launching two new Indienne colourways this season — each printed in the UK and infused with the same spirit of playful refinement that defined Marie Antoinette’s aesthetic.
Indienne Peach brings warmth and softness with its peachy blush tones, while Indienne Plum introduces a moodier, romantic colour palette both designed to bring a touch of Versailles elegance to contemporary interiors.
Indienne - Peach
Indienne - Plum
Whether you’re decorating a bedroom, powder room, or drawing room, our Indienne wallpapers evoke that poetic balance between history and imagination a love letter to enduring artistry and timeless design.
Explore our floral wallpaper collection