Style & Splendor: The Wardrobe of Queen Maud of Norway 1896-1938

Queen Maud of Norway was one of the best-dressed women of her age- a setter as well as a follower of fashion. Granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she was born a princess and became Queen of Norway in 1905. Her wardrobe includes a range of stunning creations, from her wedding trousseau of 1896 to the latest Worth designs of the 1930s, showing the incredible changes in women's lifestyles and fashions from Edwardian bustles to informal sportswear. The appeal of Queen Maud's wardrobe is immediate- apart from its intrinsic quality, it documents an extraordinary era of fashion history, from the decorative but elaborate dress of the Victorian era to the streamlined chic of the 1930s- clothes for the modern working monarch. It encompasses the public and private like no other collection, from sumptuous state gowns and elegant evening dresses for official occasions to her riding habits, winter sport swear, and simple tailored suits for afternoons in the garden with her grandchildren. Maud engaged with contemporary fashion throughout her long life, and commissioned many of the great designers of the day, notably Worth, Blancquaert and Morin-Blossier. Her wardrobe illustrates the impeccable standards of couture dressmaking and tailoring of the period. Style and Splendour showcases some of the most specArt/Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Oslo, and sets them clearly in the context of Queen Maud's life and times.