Fashion & Fancy Dress: The Messel Family Dress Collection 1865 - 2005

	Marion Sambourne's 1874 dress and Maud Messel's clothing 1900-1910. ©Nicholas Sinclair 2004

An exhibition of 'elegance and flair'.

Fashion and Fancy Dress was an exhibition of over 55 outfits drawn from the Messel Family Dress Collection, on display at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery from 22 October 2005 - 16 July 2006. It was the first time these fascinating clothes were examined and exhibited as a collection.

The displays were arranged chronologically, generation by generation. Exhibits included luxurious couture dress, ready-made items, home-made and customised garments and fancy dress.

	Embroidery from the Nymans Needlework Guild and Maud Messel's 1913 fancy dress. ©Nicholas Sinclair

Surviving clothes reveal that the women shared a taste for entirely distinctive, romantic styles of dress, influenced by a love of dressmaking, embroidery, history, travel, gardening and flowers. They also adored fancy dress. Along with letters, photographs, notebooks and press clippings from family archives, these garments offer insights into the women's lives, aspirations and taste. They also highlight how treasured garments can represent family memory and heritage.

	18th century fancy dress and Maud Messel's fashionable evening dress c1911-1913. ©Nicholas Sinclair 2004

In 1981, when Anne, Countess of Rosse first loaned the collection to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery she declared that she dreamt of an exhibition of her family's clothes, displayed with 'elegance and flair' and 'peopled' contextually. We have tried to honour her expectations.

Fashion & Fancy Dress: The Messel Family Dress Collection 1865-2005 was supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Regional Museums Initiative.