/ Grace Jones with flowers at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, October 1981 by David Corio /
Who’s up for some “diva worship”? My quick review of the Diva exhibit at The Victoria & Albert Museum (Pal, Fenella and I went on Sunday 27 August).
The first floor (featuring early divas of opera, stage, silent cinema and golden age Hollywood) is a treasure trove. Things fall apart somewhat on the second floor, which brings us to the present day and the concept of “diva” seems to stretch to any random modern female pop star with a vaguely “empowering” message (or at least the ones who’ve loaned outfits for the exhibit. Let’s be grateful at least that Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa weren’t included. I wonder if the V&A regrets the emphasis on Lizzo given her current blizzard of bad publicity and legal woes). We could all bicker about our personal favourites not being featured, but it feels like glaring omissions that Marlene Dietrich and Madonna are barely represented (surely the Cinema Museum in Berlin could have loaned a Dietrich costume from their permanent collection?). And Eartha Kitt is represented by just an album cover! If they’re going to declare Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Prince and Lil Nas x honorary “male divas”, then why not include Divine, who was a diva of both cult cinema and hi-NRG disco?
Conclusion: The Diva exhibit is enjoyable but ultimately superficial and best approached as "eye candy". It’s on until 7 April 2024.
Here are my highlights:
/ Theda Bara in Cleopatra (1917) /
/ Costume designed for Carole Lombard by Paramount’s
Travis Banton, 1930s /
/ Left to right: gown worn by Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall (1961). The cocktail dress Bette Davis wears as Margo Channing (designed by Edith Head) in All About Eve (1950) and a dress worn by Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce (1945) by Milo Anderson (that particular costume choice feels a bit underwhelming, huh?) /
/ Closer look at Davis' "Margo Channing" dress /
/ One of the costumes Marilyn Monroe wears as Sugar Kane in Some Like It Hot (1959), designed by Orry-Kelly /
/ Mae West’s Travis Banton-designed costume
for I’m No Angel (1933) /
/ Costume worn by Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (1963) by Irene Sharaff /
/ Costume worn by Vivien Leigh in a stage production
of Duel of Angels (1958) /
/ The “flame dress” Bob Mackie - maestro of the strategically-placed sequin! - designed for
soul queen Tina Turner to wear onstage in 1977 /
/ Above: two Bob Mackie creations for his definitive muse and collaborator - Cher! /
/ Dolly Parton in doll form (circa 1978) /
/ Now THESE represent religious artifacts! Edith Piaf's little black dress (and tiny shoes!) alongside her comb, hairbrush, throat spray and make-up bag /
/ High priestess of punk Siouxsie Sioux’s harlequin
catsuit by Pam Hogg circa 2007 /
/ Deborah Harry's acid-yellow punk ensemble by Stephen Sprouse /
/ Outfit worn by Lil Nas X to the MTV Awards, 2021 /
/ That's all that Queen Eartha Kitt gets - an album cover! (Albeit a gorgeous one!) /
We found it phenomenal! So much so, we are planning to go an see it again... Jx
ReplyDeletePS Yes, there is much to quibble about in what/who was not featured, but as a catalogue of items illustrating how the erm "Diva" evolved from its earliest derivation to the ubiquitous application of the term today, it was a glittering (and uber-camp) journey!
Theda Bara, the pride of Chillicothe, Ohio.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet thing to say!
ReplyDelete