Grace Kelly – From Philadelphia to Monaco – Exhibition at Musée McCord

From June to October 2013, Musée McCord in Montréal will house the personal clothes, accessories, letters, and photographs of Grace Kelly. The exhibition, entitled, From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly – Beyond the Icon is produced by the Grimaldi Forum Monaco in collaboration with the McCord Museum and based on an exhibition by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The exhibition features 40 dresses worn by Kelly, as well as over 100 objects and archives dating from 1930 to 1970.

      

The exhibition opens with the Hollywood room, where posters, film excerpts, her 1955 Oscar gown and the Oscar statue she won for her role in The Country Girl (1954) are displayed.

Her wardrobe from High Society (1956) and other films can be seen along with the film scenes and film stills in which she wore them.

The next exhibition room features a collection of her personal clothes, including the proverbial Kelly bag by Hermès popularized in 1956.

This part of the exhibition also features her wedding outfit she wore to the civil ceremony with Prince Rainer of Monaco on April 18, 1956 (her elaborate wedding gown is housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it was on display in 2006), as well as the dress she wore to Montréal’s Expo 67.

      

The final exhibition room houses many of her gowns she wore as the Princess of Monaco, including a simple but exquisite bright purple silk gown by Hubert de Givenchy.

“When offered the opportunity to collaborate on the design and the production of this
exhibition, we immediately and enthusiastically accepted the challenge,” declared
Suzanne Sauvage, President and Chief Executive Officer of the McCord Museum.
“We knew that we could not only contribute our expertise in costume conservation
and presentation, but we were also very interested in illustrating the influence that
Grace Kelly had on the history of fashion. Clothing does not just carry an aesthetic
quality; it defines an entire generation and bears witness to a specific place in time.
Without ever intending to, Grace Kelly had a huge impact on fashion, which is still
felt today.”

In partnership with the Montreal Fashion Week, the Museum organized a conference presentation by Montréal designer Jean-Claude Poitras on Wednesday, September 4th, at 6:30pm, about the importance of the Grace Kelly style in the fashion world.

      

In addition, the museum will also screen three films that have made Grace Kelly so unforgettable:

September 11, 6:30pm: Dial M for Murder, by Alfred Hitchcock/1954. (English with French subtitles).

September 18, 6:30pm: To Catch a Thief, by Alfred Hitchcock/1955. (English with French subtitles).

September 25, 6:30pm: The Country Girl, by George Seaton/1954. (English with English subtitles).

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013, from 5-9pm visitors are invited to dress in Grace Kelly style. Participants will have the chance to win door prizes!