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Two visitors wearing masks look at mannequins in glass cases in the Fashion and Style gallery

Art, Design and Fashion galleries

These sumptuous galleries showcase the best of decorative art, design, fashion and style.

Discover a treasure trove of creativity, explore the influence of design on everyday life and see how contemporary makers continue to innovate.

Cat walk in the Fashion and Style gallery.

Explore centuries of creativity and innovation in textiles and fashion in the Fashion and Style gallery on Level 1.

Walk your own catwalk and spot gems by Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Jean Muir and Pringle of Scotland and try your hand at fashion design in our digital game.

Pink corset

Above: Pink silk corset by Sykes, Josephine and co., London, c.1890–1900.

Tartan suit by Vivienne Westwood

Above: Man's suit made from Bruce of Kinnaird tartan, part of the Anglomania collection designed by Vivienne Westwood, London, autumn/winter 1993/1994.

Art lovers will find much to delight in our Making and Creating gallery on Level 3, which explores the techniques and inspirations behind the work of artists, makers and designers.

The Making and Creating gallery.

Don't miss this rare artist’s proof by Picasso, designed in 1954. Worked in iridescent, black and white glass, Capra represents a small goat resting on the grass.

Above: Curator Sarah Rothwell admires Picasso's Capra.

Art doesn’t just belong in galleries though, so wander up to Design for Living on Level 5 to discover ideas that shaped a century of design, from the Great Exhibition to the Festival of Britain.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh designs in the Design for Living gallery.

Here you can get acquainted with May Morris’ intricate embroideries. Created to hang in Orkney’s Melsetter House, these wall hangings are a beautiful example of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Above: May Morris' embroideries.

Then take a trip to our Art of Living gallery to see stunning examples of decorative art as expressions of beauty, taste, power and devotion. Sup wine from the astronomical Hamilton-Rothschild Tazza and take tea with the Emperor Napoleon’s tea service. You can also measure up against the Hamilton Palace fireplace wall. Restored to its former glory, this stateroom was saved from the grandest non-royal residence in Europe.

The Meissen lion on Level 5 in Art of Living gallery.

From earliest times sculptors have created works intended to inspire devotion, to tell stories, to commemorate individuals or to capture beauty in a lasting form. Traditions in Sculpture, on the balcony of Level 5, contrasts classical and Christian sculpture with those of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

Traditions in Sculpture gallery on Level 5.

A pink corset with cream and gold lace trim

Mode

Explore highlights from our Fashion and Style gallery online with Mode, our online guide to the garments on display.
Luxuriate in couture details with close-up images and 360 views, and discover everything from sumptuous fabrics and bespoke craftsmanship to cutting-edge design inspiration and fashion history.

Visit Mode online
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