Movie & TV Frocks at the V&A’s Marie-Antoinette Style Exhibit

Recently, I made a whirlwind trip to London for museums and theater, and now I’m going to share the frock flick adjacent parts with you! First up was the Marie-Antoinette Style exhibit, open through March 2, 2026, at the Victoria & Albert Museum. This exhibition aims to “explore the lasting influence of the most fashionable (and ill-fated) queen in history” and features an unusual number of objects actually belonging to the French queen.

The first half, or more, is devoted to Marie-Antoinette’s life, including many portraits, clothing from the period similar to styles she wore, the remaining gems from the ‘Affair of the Necklace,’ furniture rescued from Versailles, and even a moving display on the queen’s death including a smock associated with her and a locket holding her children’s and her own hair.

The rest of the exhibit attempts to show how her iconic style has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the centuries in fashion and design. IMO, this is where the show fell a little short. When it’s titled “Marie-Antoinette Style,” I wanted more about just that, her lasting influence over time, and I’d have preferred to see the 18th-century originals next to the more modern (whether 19th century or current) items to bring out more insights about how they connect. The V&A has done this with other exhibits beautifully. Instead, this one is basically chronological, with a heavier focus on Marie-Antoinette’s life than afterwards.

But that’s not the relevant part for this blog, at least not as a standalone post! So I’m going to share what the exhibit had from movies and TV shows related to “Marie-Antoinette Style.” My photos and descriptions are arranged in the order these items are displayed around the room, which is far less chronological than the rest of the exhibit. Movie/TV costumes are mixed with haute couture gowns, I guess because it’s all 20th/21st century?

Except where noted, photos by Trystan L. Bass.

First up, shoes designed by Manolo Blahnik for Marie Antoinette (2006), alongside his original sketches. The designer also created a new capsule collection of modern shoes in honor of this exhibit.

The movie’s shoes were are all handmade and used Lyon silks and fabric by Stephen Walters, which has been woven in England since 1720.

These mules decorated with velvet bows are called the “Antoinetta” design.

The blue satin mules are called the “Tourzel Habsburg” design.

What do you want to bet that those crystal buckles are vintage? The display cards didn’t say.

These striped shoes are called the “Mercy Artois” design.

The satin shoes with criss-crossed ribbons are called the “Etiquette” design and were inspired by a surviving shoe associated with Marie-Antoinette that’s held by the Musee Carnavalet in Paris.

Some of these shoes can be seen in the movie during the “I Want Candy” shopping/unboxing scenes.

Next on display was a costume designed for the TV show Marie Antoinette (2022-). While Madeleine Fontaine was the costume artistic director and Marie Frémont was the costume designer for this series, several gowns were designed by fashion house Dior. Unfortunately, the advance PR wasn’t clear exactly which costumes were by Dior — but the V&A exhibit stated that this one was designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Christian Dior Haute Couture 2023.

It’s a very pretty dress, very Dior, with only a light 18th-century influence.

The materials are exquisite, with shimmering gilded lace, very floaty and ethereal. It’s a fairy-tale dress more than a court gown.

As seen in the TV show:

Then we get to see some of the costumes Milena Canonero designed for Marie Antoinette (2006), which are not strictly historical, given the movie’s new-wave teen queen vibe. But this movie was deeply grounded in historical fashion and just gave it some tweaking here and there to emphasize the characterization.

That’s obvious in this gown from the “Let them eat cake” scene. On the outside, it’s a beautiful cream silk 18th-century gown, but underneath, a hot pink tulle petticoat peeks out.

So much detail in the trimming of this gown!

As shown in the movie:

I was surprised by the details in this pink silk costume from the “Chapel” scene — I’d noticed the feather trim onscreen but not that there was so much of it, nor had I realized the jacket has a pleated surface treatment.

I also never noticed how the jacket is open over the stomacher, since in the “Chapel” scene, Marie-Antoinette is holding a fluffy muff in front of her waist.

That pleating isn’t an 18th-century technique, but it’s amazing! And the feather trim looks more like long fur up close, but the display card did say “feather.”

Here’s the movie scene, for comparison:

The last costume from the 2006 movie was this blue silk gown with embroidered tinsel decoration from the “Garden” scene.

It’s a gorgeous gown with luminous silver details. Though the cold-shoulder look is more of a modern interpretation than a period style.

In the movie, this dress is hardly shown at all! The queen wears it in the dark, in the gardens after her coronation. The only way to ID this gown is because of those cold shoulders:

This gown is more prominent in a photoshoot by Annie Liebovitz for Vogue magazine that was done to promote the movie:

Reaching back in frock flick times, the exhibit next showcased a costume from Marie Antoinette (1938), designed by Adrian. I’m a little disappointed that the V&A didn’t get one of the more iconic costumes from this film, like the silver Rocket Dress, or even the velvet riding habit, which they could have linked to the several paintings of the actual queen in riding attire. But this silk gown worn by Norma Shearer is beautiful and amazingly historically accurate, especially considering the time it was made.

Look at all those bows! And ruffles (so very Adrian) and the ruching!

The little grape clusters are such a perfectly over-the-top touch.

For as frou-frou and fabulous as this costume is, in movie, Marie-Antoinette wears it at her child’s bedside like she’s just a concerned mom. So demure, so mindful.

The last historical costume in this exhibit is from The Great (2020-23) season 3, episode 2, and was designed by Sharon Long. As Catherine the Great, Elle Fanning wore this gown made of a custom toile de jouy fabric designed by Sharon Long and Benjamin Thapa.

Watching the show, I’d admired how the fabric featured Russian-style buildings and couples frolicking!

But in person, I saw even more details…

Like a scene reminiscent of “The Swing” by Fragonard, except a crocodile lurks underneath the swinging lady.

And the couple getting it on is menaced by a bear. Love and sex were dangerous games in The Great!

Gives the TV show’s costume layered meanings.

Check out Marie-Antoinette Style at the V&A yourself, if you can! And stay tuned in the new year more pix from my London museum visits.