Maligned, misquoted and the subject of malicious gossip, Marie Antoinette triumphs as a perennial fashion muse …
Jonathan Anderson’s acclaimed debut collection as creative director for Dior was inspired by the idea of discovering vintage clothing “in a trunk and just pulling them on”. It was a beguiling mix of 18th century references, from brocade waistcoats to romantic bows and floral flourishes.
Sam Nivola for Dior, photographed by Buck Ellison.
Actor Sam Nivola featured in an adjacent campaign cradling a lamb at the Hameau de la Reine at Versailles, the bucolic refuge created by Queen Marie Antoinette on the grounds of the Petit Trianon palace, where she indulged her passion for plants and pets. Also included were snaps of a gilt clock in the Queen’s Bedchamber and a Dior ring set in one of the hamlet’s apple trees.
Moschino AW20.
Anderson follows in the footsteps of designers including Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Jeremy Scott (for Moschino) enchanted by Marie Antoinette’s style and legacy.
Kate Moss by Tim Walker wearing Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, and Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery.
Her most notable contribution to fashion was her love of flowing designs that prioritised comfort and movement. She popularised the robe à l’anglaise, an alternative to the heavily layered robe à la française, that captivated the fashionable elite at the time. Colour was also her style signifier, particularly pastels – a departure from muted and subdued tones of the time – which later became a signature of the French Revival style.
As a fashion icon and early celebrity, the Austrian-born Marie Antoinette held court in France from 1774 to 1792, in a reign blighted by scandal and rumour.
Libelles (slanderous pamphlets) portrayed her as immoral and promiscuous. The infamous quote “Let them eat cake”, attributed to her was likely fabricated (by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau), and became a symbol of her perceived indifference to the suffering of the poor. Her personal relationships, particularly her friendship with the Duchesse de Polignac, were subject to gossip while the so-called affair of the diamond necklace (although proven innocent) further damaged her reputation.
White organza dress with artificial flowers, V&A Collection.
A new exhibition open now until March 22 2026 at London’s V&A Museum, curated by Sarah Grant and sponsored by Manolo Blahnik, sets out to explore how and why Marie Antoinette has provided such a constant source of inspiration. On display (among some 250 objects) will be personal items including her silk slippers and a final poignant note she wrote before her execution. Alongside these rare historical items are couture pieces by Dior, Chanel, Erdem and Valentino as well as costumes, jewellery and shoes made for Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning Marie Antoinette film starring Kirsten Dunst.
Manolo Blahnik’s Antoinetta slippers, 2005.
Alongside these rare historical items are couture pieces by Dior, Chanel, Erdem and Valentino as well as costumes, jewellery and shoes made for Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning Marie Antoinette film starring Kirsten Dunst.
Marie Antoinette with a Rose by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.
Visitors can expect theatrical staging and an interesting scent experience reflecting Marie Antoinette’s passion for perfume, particularly tuberose. Her hair was scented with jasmine and she had her own personal perfumer, Jean-Louis Fargeon, which added to her charismatic aura.
À la Rose eau de parfum, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, inspired by a painting of Marie Antoinette, at Brown Thomas.
Try À La Rose from Maison Francis Kurkdjian inspired by Marie Antoinette’s portrait or Cire Trudon’s Versailles candle, an attempt to bottle the garden scents of that era, described in Élisabeth de Feydeau’s book Marie-Antoinette’s Garden: An Eighteenth-Century Herbarium (Flammarion) out now.
Marie-Antoinette’s Garden, Élisabeth de Feydeau, Flammarion.
Sèvres Rambouillet breast cup.
Divided into sections, the V&A exhibition will address the myths surrounding the Queen – one being (erroneously) that her breasts inspired the design of a champagne coupe.
Madonna as Marie Antoinette, MTV Awards, 1990.
The final section, Marie Antoinette Re-Styled, considers her impact and influence on pop culture. Who can forget the iconic 1990 MTV Awards performance, featuring Madonna singing “Vogue” while wearing a towering white wig adorned with feathers? Or Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma 2017 collection which the pop icon described as “if Marie Antoinette was going to the gym and needed something to wear”. The collection included silky zip-up hoodies, ruffled parkas and corsets. Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner have also embraced the spirit of Marie Antoinette in platinum pompadour wigs and couture ensembles. This is definitely one exhibition to dress up for.
Marie Antoinette’s pearl jewellery.
