Step into the world of Queen Victoria – the OG Fashion Influencer of the Victorian era with me. I'm going to spill the tea on the Dead Queens X Dawn Pearcey collab that kicked off with an original painting of Queen V. We're talking about a piece of art that practically started a whole aesthetic movement at Dead Queens– seriously, it's that good! Today I am tipping my Top Hat off to Queen V and her influence on fashion. Queen Victoria started which fashion trend? Can you guess? Let's dive into the details, shall we? 👑✨
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to the regal Queen Alexandra Victoria puts her stamp on an era and the fashion industry. In the dazzling tapestry of 19th-century fashion, Queen Victoria took center stage, turning the Victorian era into her personal runway. Those signature high-neck lace gowns, each thread spun with the finesse of a royal fashion maestro. It wasn't just lace; it was a regal revolution! The Victorian women of the time were lucky to have the fashionable Victoria as their Queen.
Victoria created the Victorian Era Fashion in Great Britain - the original Fashion Influencer. A trendsetter right from the beginning, starting on her wedding day. Her white wedding gown, which was an unusual colour for a bride at the time. Victoria chose the white dress because it was the best colour to show off the delicate lace as she wanted to support the lace makers in England, particularly in Devon. Victoria supported local in the 19th century. Her wedding dress topped off with a simple wreath of orange blossoms. Beautifully simple and regal at the same time. Since this wedding, women world wide have been wearing white wedding dresses. Being Queen for a day never seems to get old.
Photo credit: Royal Collection Trust
The headdress incorporates four small green enamel oranges, intended to represent the four eldest children - Victoria, Albert Edward, Alice and Alfred. The Queen wrote in her journal, 'it is such a lovely wreath & such a dear kind thought of Albert's' (10 February 1846).
Givenchy, Fall 2009 couture Photo: Monica Feudi / Gorunway.com
Lace became Queen Victoria's style anthem. We all have our thing and lace was Victoria's. She shared this secret language of style with the world. Delicate yet powerful lace. Victorian fashion came alive with wealthy women. High necklines, choker necklaces became the fashion. Supposedly, Alexandra Victoria wore these high necklines to hide a childhood scar, regardless this style became all the rage of the Gilded Age. And that crown! It was more than a symbol of authority; it was the tiara of trendsetting. Adorned with sparkling gems, Queen Victoria's crown was the pièce de résistance, the fashion equivalent of a grand finale at a Paris Fashion Week. Bow down to the Queen of accessories as well as a nod to her husband Prince Albert's design sense.
Photo credit: Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Getty Images
Of course velvet! Queen Victoria wasn't just draped in fabric; she was swathed in decadence of deep burgundies and midnight blues. A proclamation of regal chic.
Photo credit unknown - All the accesories!
Even her footwear wasn't just practical; it was a statement. Elegant and refined, her shoes were the unsung heroes of her ensemble, carrying her through courtly affairs with grace and a bit of royal swagger. Victoria also loved her metallic accents. Then the wearing of gloves in the Victorian era was a way for people to distinguish someone's social status. Ever so beautiful though, these kid leather and lace gloves were the exclamation points to her regal sentences.
Queen Victoria's Wedding Shoes
Shoemaker's label inside Queen Victoria's wedding shoes
Wouldn't it be grand if all of our shoes had our own personalized label inside?
Queen Victoria's Gothic Style Boots and Black Gothic Dress
If I could find those boots today, I'd be buying them!
A replica of Queen Victoria's coronation gloves made of white kid, edged and lined in deep purple satin and gold scallop-patterned bobbin lace threaded with large sequins. The upper hand applied with embroidered blue and red badge bearing the motto Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense, below red velvet Queenly crown, 35 cm long. Machine sewn between 1870 and 1876. Source: The Worshipful Company of Glovers' of London. Accession No: 25744
Her influence wasn't confined to the court; it was a fashion epidemic. European monarchs were taking notes, and the ripple effect was felt far and wide. A queen who not only ruled a kingdom but also reigned supreme in the fashion realm. In essence, Queen Victoria's fashion of the time, was more than just about clothes; it was a regal extravaganza. Her legacy is a time of great change. In her long reign there was industrial expansion, economic progress, the great exhibition and British Empire as well as fashion fairy tale told through lace, velvet, full skirts, frock coats, lace-up boots and the metallic glint of her style scepter. Under Victoria's reign the world's first ever postage stamp, the Penny Black. Then the creation of the beautiful Victoria and Albert Museum! Even though, in 1901, Queen Victoria passed away and it was the end of the Victorian era. The Victorian age is alive in modern day society . Long live the queen of chic! 👑 #deadqueensarealive
The Penny Black Postage Stamp
Richard Quinn, spring 2023 ready-to-wear Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Modern day Victorian Goth Dress, Victoria's style influence still going strong in 2023 on the runway.
In essence, Queen Victoria's fashion choices were a reflection of her personal taste that created a transformative force in women's fashion so much so, it shaped an entire era in the 18th century. Her legacy as a style icon transcends time, a testament to the enduring impact of a queen whose regal elegance left an indelible mark on the pages of fashion history. Victoria set fashion trends: the Victorian Era, which continues to be woven into fashion collections today, as well as the Goth Victorian 'trend' which is definitely still rocking today. The latter mostly inspired by Victoria's choice of colour and style, 'mourning black', after her husband Prince Albert passed away, and continued to wear for the rest of her life. Proving that throughout time fashion magazines and fashion designers appreciate the style of the Victorian era of British history, as does Dead Queens.
Queen Victoria in 'Victorian Gothic Black' Mourning Clothes
Royal mania is real, reaching from the glossy pages of women's magazines to captivating moments on television and film.
Dolce & Gabbana, spring 2018 ready-to-wear Photo: Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv
Christian Dior, fall 2004 couture Photo: Marcio Madeira
Jean Paul Gaultier, fall 2014 ready-to-wear Patrice Stable p/o Jean Paul Gaultier
Richard Quinn, spring 2023 ready-to-wear Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
As you can see from the dates of all of the runway photos, Royal Mania is real and has always been real throughout time.
The talented actors who have portrayed the iconic queen on screen – Judy Dench, Jenna Coleman, Victoria Hamilton, Patricia Routledge, Anna Neagle, and Emily Blunt. A role of a lifetime. A challenge. Mostly an honour.
Dame Judy Dench as Queen Victoria in Victoria & Abdul
Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria in the television series, Victoria.
I recently binged all three seasons of Victoria on Masterpiece. I definitely recommend having a binge!
Victoria Hamilton as Queen Victoria in 'Victoria and Albert' 2001
In a splendid collision Dead Queens X Dawn Pearcey collaboration creates the Dead Queens' Queen Victoria collection, fit for a modern monarch and stylish historians, The collection features a range of luxury accessories, home decor and T-Shirts.
The Queen Victoria fine art silk print scarves that drape like regal mantles, carrying the essence of Victoria. Each thread tells a story, a visual masterpiece crafted in collaboration with an artist whose strokes breathe life into history.
For those seeking decorative arts or tactile luxury, pillow covers in sumptuous velvet, cotton canvas, and exquisite linens with the Queen Victoria art dyed into the fabric, transport you to the lavish courtrooms of the Victorian era. It's not just decor; it's a regal indulgence for the senses, a touch of opulence in every fiber that will give you regal strength.
My personal obsession, oversized 100% cotton tea towels that pay homage to the Queen herself. The Queen Victoria Tea Towel, with the same original painting, direct digital printed, these tea towels transform a humble kitchen essential into a canvas of royal sophistication, because art should be everywhere. The Queen Victoria Tea Towel, a star of the collection, is more than a mere kitchen accessory; it's a piece of history draped over your oven handle.
The Queen Victoria T-Shirt, for everyday wear, worn with your favourite denim or a beautiful bell-shaped skirt, aka Queen Victoria herself, definitely styles up your wardrobe. I designed silk bustle skirts a few years back so that I could wear my Dead Queens T-Shirts in a modern Victorian style. Super cool with sneakers also! The T-shirts become more than a t-shirt, they are conversation pieces.
The Queen Victoria Collection is a reigning favourite with customers. In fact, it's almost as if Queen Victoria herself has given the collection the royal nod.
So, come join the royal rendezvous. Pretend we are hanging out having tea in Windsor Castle. Pour yourself a cuppa, unfurl the Victoria Tea Towel, and let the Dead Queens Collection transport you to a realm where history meets a modern lifestyle. It's not just a tea party; it's a majestic affair in the Queendom! 👑☕
Queen Victoria
Born May 24, 1819
Died January 22, 1901
The End of the Victorian Era
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