In a year packed with remarkable displays on subjects from swimming to soil, one London exhibition has been declared the standout highlight for 2025. According to Time Out staff writer India Lawrence, the crown for the year's best non-art exhibition goes to Marie Antoinette Style at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).
Why This Exhibition Stole the Show
Lawrence, who reviewed numerous exhibitions throughout the year, found this particular display uniquely compelling. While she encountered everything from vintage swimwear to designer jeans with unusual histories, the V&A's deep dive into the world of the infamous French queen left the most lasting impression. The exhibition presents a stunning collection of 250 objects, including precious items on loan from Versailles that have never before been exhibited outside of France.
The show guides visitors through the extravagant universe of Marie Antoinette, showcasing her revolutionary wardrobe, opulent jewellery, lavish interior designs, and those iconic, towering hairstyles. More than a simple historical retrospective, it traces her profound and ongoing influence on contemporary fashion and art.
A Moving Portrait of a Misunderstood Icon
The exhibition powerfully reframes Antoinette not just as a monarch, but as a complex individual. It highlights how she was a teenager of just 14 when she ascended to the throne, a young woman navigating unimaginable wealth and wielding exquisite taste. The display paints her as a kind of proto-celebrity, whose image and reputation were systematically dismantled by the media of her day—a narrative that Lawrence notes bears shocking parallels to modern tabloid culture.
A significant section is devoted to the queen's enduring pop culture legacy, featuring fabulous costumes from Sofia Coppola's 2006 film. It also includes stunning contemporary interpretations of her style by legendary fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, and Moschino. Lawrence admits she is still dreaming about the candy-coloured collection of Manolo Blahnik shoes created for Coppola's cinematic vision.
Essential Visitor Information
This exhibition is pitched as a perfect day out for both fashion enthusiasts and history buffs alike. For anyone who missed it in 2025, there is still ample opportunity to experience it. Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A continues its run until 22 March 2026, offering plenty of time for Londoners and visitors to explore this magnificent showcase of style, history, and tragic celebrity.
