Culture
Artful Accessories: 7 Alluring Style Exhibitions
Presenting accessories as items of social, artistic and political importance, these exhibitions reveal how accoutrements can change not only an outfit, but history itself
In the world of fashion, a small accessory can make a big difference, with the power to transform a nice outfit into an iconic look – or a full-on statement. These exhibitions reveal accessories as historical objects, social signifiers, craft collectables, design masterpieces and works of art, connecting them to big themes and opening up new perspectives. Find fresh inspiration and a new appreciation for accoutrements in seven museums around Europe and the US.
Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels
This exhibition invites visitors to marvel at the beauty of our cosmos, captured in astronomically inspired fine jewellery from Van Cleef & Arpels. Some pieces are accurate representations of celestial objects, others are stylised artistic interpretations of the universe or show mythological figures and zodiac symbols. The gallery at the American Museum of Natural History in New York is plunged into darkness, illuminated only by radiant creations representing planets, stars, meteors or galaxies, and depicting space travel. The immersive experience inspires wonder, while the scientific setting in the museum’s Halls of Gems and Minerals grounds it in reality. Until 4 January 2026
[Images, left to right: 1. Doubles galaxies (Double galaxy) clips, 2021. Sous les étoiles High Jewelry collection. 2. Asterisk clip, 1966. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. 3. Diane (Diana) clip, 2011. Bal du Siècle, Bals de Légende High Jewelry collection 4. Midnight Planétarium watch, 1951. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Images courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels]
Marie Antoinette Style
Royals always have been and always will be scrutinised for their fashion choices – none more so than the last queen of France. Marie Antoinette sparked trends during her lifetime and has inspired recurring revivals since her untimely death, from the mid-1800s to the present day. This new exhibition at London’s V&A South Kensington explores the life, legacy and enduring influence of the tragic style icon. Accessories on display include her distinctive silk slippers, as well as modern shoes inspired by them. The exclusive jewels on show underline the queen’s lavish spending, which played a part in her undoing. Until 22 March 2026
[Images, Left: Kate Moss, Fashion: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Julian d’Ys, The Ritz, Paris 2012. (Photographs of Kate Moss at the Paris Ritz for Vogue US April 2012 issue) © Tim Walker. Right: One slipper belonging to Marie Antoinette beaded pink silk. Photo: CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris]
Cartier
An ideal companion show to the Marie Antoinette showcase, under the same roof at V&A South Kensington, Cartier – the brand – also symbolises lavish luxury and is often spotted on the fingers, necks, arms and earlobes of royals (and of course celebrities). This ongoing exhibition dazzles with more than 350 objects from the Paris Maison, including the Williamson Pink Diamond Brooch commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II, the stunning Scroll Tiara commissioned for the Countess of Essex in 1902, a rose clip brooch worn by Princess Margaret to her sister’s coronation, Grace Kelly’s engagement ring from the Monaco Princely Palace Collection, and the Manchester Tiara made in 1903 for the Dowager Duchess of Manchester. The exhibition has been sold out for months, but members can still get access. Until 16 November 2025
[Images: Installation views of Cartier at V&A South Kensington (12 April-16 November 2025) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London]
Accessories: Objects of Desire
The Swiss National Museum in Zurich takes a similarly broad look at all that accessories communicate. Beyond fashion, they serve as social signifiers, conveying volumes about their wearer’s status, identity and regional and political affiliations. Diving deep into specific categories, the exhibition traces the layers of meaning associated with hats, shoes and bags throughout time. It also includes accessories, like walking canes and fans, that have become all but obsolete. Collectively, these objects chart the rise of the middle class, as well as the increasing availability of industrially manufactured fashion. Until 12 April 2026
[Images, Left: Swiss fan painter. Right: Bags – an indispensable item. Copyright © Swiss National Museum]
Radiance and Reverie: Jewels from the Collection of Neil Lane
For more glamorous accessories, look no further than Neil Lane’s private collection. The celebrity jeweller got his start as a collector and dealer before making a name as a designer of red-carpet bling and engagement rings. This exhibition at Madrid’s Toledo Museum of Art traces Lane’s life journey, as well as the story of modern jewellery, in three stages: 1. Paris, where Lane studied art in the 1980s, and where revival styles captured imaginations at the world’s fairs from the mid-19th century. 2. New York, where Lane was born in the 1960s, and where Tiffany & Co. led the rise of American jewellery design in the second half of the 19th century. 3. Hollywood, where Lane became a red-carpet supplier, and where stars of the silver screen made precious gems shine even brighter in the 20th century. 18 October 2025 to 18 January 2026
[Images, Left: Castellani (Italian, 1814–1930). Quatrefoil brooch, mid- to late19th century. Right: Giacinto Melillo (Italian, 1846–1915). Ruvo necklace, about 1870–80. Collection of Neil Lane. Photographs © Lendon Flanagan]
The Jewelry of Dorothea Prühl
In stark contrast, this solo show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston explores the work of one of the first jewellery artists to largely eschew precious materials in favour of modernist design principles and creative expression. Dorothea Prühl studied, worked and taught almost her entire career at Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle in the former German Democratic Republic. Within the socialist system, somewhat removed from the art scene beyond its borders, she almost single-handedly reinvented what jewellery could be and what it could do. The first US exhibition dedicated to the German artist now makes the largest public collection of Prühl’s jewellery in the world more accessible. Until 3 January 2027
[Images, Left: Dorothea Prühl, Migratory Birds (Zugvögel), 2025, titanium and gold. Photo: Matthias Ritzmann. Right: Dorothea Prühl, Flowers from Augustenberg (Blumen aus Augustenberg), 1989, alder wood and string. Photo: Helga Schulze-Brinkop. Images courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, promised gift of the Rotasa Collection Trust. © Dorothea Prühl.]
Gates of Transition
The eponymous museum founded by Greek jeweller Ilias Lalaounis in Athens is dedicated to historic and contemporary jewellery and decorative arts. Every two years, an exhibition serves as the public celebration of the Biennale of Contemporary Artistic Jewellery, offering a comprehensive overview of the current studio jewellery scene on a global scale. 100 artists from 20 countries have contributed unique works of art – some more wearable than others, but all intricately designed and exquisitely crafted. Until 30 November 2025
[Courtesy of Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum]
[Image at top: Antonietta, 2005 by Manolo Blahnik. Courtesy V&A South Kensington]
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