This week I was able to attend the Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition, held at the Bendigo Art Gallery in Bendigo, about a 2 hour drive from Melbourne (also a wonderful destination for antiques shopping). As the title would suggest, the exhibition housed a collection of over 100 pieces of Grace Kelly’s clothing and accessories, giving viewers a chronological perspective on how her style developed with her European destiny, and in many ways, stayed true to her American roots.  The exhibition included gowns from her time as Hollywood’s most adored actress, through to the Chanel suits she wore to walk her royal kidlets to school in Monaco.

I was interested to see her wedding dress, which in fact was a replica. The original is largely made of vintage lace and thus too fragile to move. That, and I’m guessing the Philadelphia Museum of Art, who now own the dress, wouldn’t give it up easily (not to mention pricey curation and insurance). Anyway, I was satisfied with the replica. Also special for me was her Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian print dress, inspired by the paintings of Piet Mondrian. This iconic collection represented the rising hemlines and bold prints to come of the 1960′s.

However, most importantly was her brown leather Hermès ‘Kelly’ bag, famously named after her. It was actually one of the only pieces to show signs of a past life. Its worn exterior only made it more desirable to my eye. I would gladly have taken it home… or moved to Bendigo to be with it.

Grace Kelly was a significant influence on 20^th Century fashion, inspiring women and designers alike. Some of the 1950′s pieces were understandably dated, and it was difficult to appreciate their beauty in context. However, every image of her accompanying the garments just served to highlight her beauty. Her exquisite face is no revelation, but it was interesting to see that no matter what the outfit, you always saw her first. I think that is about more than just her beauty, but her ability to hold herself in a certain way; she was truly a graceful woman.