Dressed to Kill

Fashion designers, as opposed to 'mere tailors and dressmakers', are a relatively recent phenomenon--beginning with Charles Worth, an Englishman working in Paris in the 1860s, who established the first haute couture fashion house. This precedent inspired later household names, such as Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves St Laurent, through to Rei Kawakubo, Zandra Rhodes, Romeo Gigli and Vivienne Westwood. The work of these designers and others' is represented by apparel, album sketches and stencil illustrations drawn principally from the National Gallery's collection.