Viva La Diva! OK, the word may have been given negative connotations over the years, but the diva is back in fashion with a bang.
The V&A museum’s new exhibition explores and celebrates all things diva, featuring more than 250 looks that celebrate other iconic performers who ‘have challenged the status quo’.
These include Tina Turner’s iconic flame dress from the 1970s, Dame Shirley Bassey’s diamante boots from Glastonbury and the fringed black dress worn by Marilyn Monroe as Sugar “Kane” Kowalczyk in Some Like it Hot (1959).
Garments have also been gathered by the private collections of global megastars such as Adele, Lizzo, Pink and Rihanna, including the papal-inspired gown and hat she wore to the Catholic-themed 2018 Met Gala and the sheer pregnancy bump gown for the 2023 Oscars.
As well as curating diva fashion, the exhibition traces the chronology of divas, starting from the 19th century with opera singers such as Maria Callas. And there is some room for the male divas - with Elton John’s Louis XIV-inspired look for his 50th birthday and Freddie Mercury ’s tight white jeans and ermine wrap.
Legendary designer Bob Mackie’s creations for Tina Turner and Cher are showcased here, alongside 19th-century opera singers, Hollywood film stars and more modern pop stars.
COSTUME WORN BY ELIZABETH TAYLOR IN CLEOPATRA, 1963
Wielding her diva power, Taylor demanded and received a $1million fee to play Cleopatra, making her the highest earning performer in Hollywood history. This was also the most expensive film ever - with a suitably extravagant leading lady wardrobe to match.
Acclaimed costume designer Irene Sharaff designed sets and costumes for numerous Hollywood films, She earned 15 Oscar nominations for costume design, winning five – for An American in Paris (1951), The King and I (1956), West Side Story (1961), Cleopatra (1963) and again with Liz (and Richard Burton) on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). She also designed the dress for her marriage to Burton.
* Designed by Irene Sharaff - wool, silk, sequins, leather, gold leaf (dress); human hair (wig)
GOWN AND WELLIES WORN BY DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY, GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL, 2007
Over her eight-decade career, Tiger Bay-born Bassey has performed on many stages, from New York’s Carnegie Hall to Buckingham Palace. Perhaps her most well-loved performance was for the ‘legend’ slot at Glastonbury.
Wearing a fabulous sequinned gown, slit to the thigh to reveal bespoke diamante-embellished wellies, the Welsh singer showed the world how a diva does festival chic.
* Designed by Julien Macdonald - silk, diamante, feathers, glass beads
OUTFIT WORN BY DEBBIE HARRY ON BLONDIE'S EUROPEAN TOUR, 1979
Combining deconstructed or repurposed garments with vintage finds and custom designs, Harry’s style was a colourful mix of grubby punk aesthetics with a sheen of glamour.
As she put it, "Fashion should always be a little dangerous."
Harry and the designer Stephen Sprouse had a collaborative relationship, and he would often dress her in asymmetrical styles and minimal, modern prints, as seen here.
* Designed by Stephen Sprouse - synthetic textile and elastic
TINA TURNER’S FLAME DRESS, 1977
A long-time friend and collaborator, Bob Mackie created many looks for Turner over the course of her career. These were typically high-octane and sensational, sparkly and spectacular.
This costume is perhaps the most famous. Known simply as the Flame Dress, it delivers showstopping glamour in a costume Turner could move and dance in freely.
This look is so iconic that fellow divas Beyoncé and RuPaul have both worn versions of it in tribute.
* Designed by Bob Mackie - chiffon, synthetic textile, mylar, crystal and plastic sequins.
ENSEMBLE WORN BY CHER AT THE INAUGURAL ROCK MUSIC AWARDS, 1975
Global icon Cher set the trend for divas to be known by a single name and her unique statement styling - long before the likes of Lady Gaga, who is of course also featured in this exhibit.
Cher has reinvented herself in every decade, as a 1960s hippie, queen of the ’70s TV variety show, a rock and dance diva in the 1980s and ’90s, and more recently as Vegas headliner and Mamma Mia! movie star.
She wore this two-piece embellished ensemble at the 1975 Rock Music Awards, when she presented the award for Rock Personality of the Year to Elton John.
* Designed by Bob Mackie Chiffon - satin and crystal
COSTUME WORN BY MARILYN MONROE IN SOME LIKE IT HOT, 1959
Marilyn Monroe’s blend of sexuality and vulnerability made her a Hollywood icon.
Ultimately, the media and public glare was too much but Some Like it Hot celebrated her talents at their finest. Razor comic timing brought depth to her portrayal of Sugar ‘Kane’ Kowalczy - devastatingly alluring but with a sadness at her core, much like Marilyn herself.
She wore this silk satin fringe dress in one the movie’s funniest scenes. This is considered by many to be her greatest movie performance.
* Designed by Orry-Kelly - silk satin, silk fringing
GRACE DRESS AND BOLERO, ADELE, BRITISH VOGUE, 2021,
Channelling timeless glamour, this cover look marked Adele’s public return after a long hiatus.
A true female icon in full control - the best definition of a diva - Adele’s style has gradually evolved from casual indie to high-glam gloss, but she has retained her approachable appeal, disarmingly relatable, humble yet brash, and resolutely British in her humour.
* Designed by Vivienne Westwood - silk, nylon net
COSTUME WORN BY ELTON JOHN FOR HIS 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY, 1997
The exhibition’s curator, Kate Bailey, believes anyone can be a diva. And if that the case then Sir Elton John ticks the boxes.
The multi award winning singer songwriter has reshaped pop culture with his unforgettable songs and his flamboyant style.
For his 50th birthday, Elton sought inspiration from the court fashions of King Louis XIV. The voluminous curly wig, complete with a mechanised galleon that shot out puffs of smoke, topped an ensemble that was so large Elton had to be transported to the party in a furniture lorry.
Living the diva, on and off stage!
* Designed by Sandy Powell - made by Annie Hadley and Dominic Young - silk, cotton, lace, synthetic textile, lamé, sequins, rhinestones, feathers, plastic tinsel, fibreglass, glass, metal, leather, plastic
DRESS WORN BY AMY WINEHOUSE TO THE BRIT AWARDS, 2007
Amy was immediately distinctive, both in her style and vocals. Her first album Frank was nominated for a Mercury music prize in 2004 and she was the first female artist to win five Grammys for a single album with Back to Black in 2006.
She wore this canary yellow dress to the Brits in 2007, where she won Best Female Artist. With the visible black bra straps that were part of her style as much as the trademark beehive hairstyle and winged eyeliner, it is one of this tragic divia’s most iconic looks.
* Designed by Thornton Bregazzi for Preen - synthetic textile
* Diva opens at the V&A on Saturday June 24 and runs until April 7 2024.
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