New V&A exhibition, DIVA, to Open on Saturday

Opening on Saturday 24 June, DIVA is the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the extraordinary power and creativity of iconic performers who have made their voices heard from the 19th century to today.

Today the V&A reveals that five key looks worn by global phenomenon Rihanna will be shown together for the first time for the exhibition. On loan to the exhibition from the artist herself, the objects track Rihanna’s style evolution as an artist and celebrate her ability to transform her own personal image, shaping style and popular culture along the way. Stretching creative and technical limits both on and off the stage, whilst mixing street style and high glamour, Rihanna is one of the most anticipated stars on the red carpet.

A duo of looks worn by the artist to the Met Gala are on display: the 2018 high-fashion Papal look, with jewel-encrusted robe and matching mitre designed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and the 2021 couture black gown complete with beanie, designed by Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga. DIVA also displays one of Rihanna’s earliest high-impact fashion moments, the sheer ‘naked’ dress worn to the CFDA Awards in 2014, designed by Adam Selman, and accented with over 200,000 Swarovski crystals with a matching durag and gloves, as well as this year’s 2023 Oscars award Alaïa ensemble, designed with mesh cut-outs over her pregnancy bump. Finally, on display is the crown used for Rihanna’s ANTI album cover (2016), made by Roy Nachum, and accompanying iconic visuals from Rihanna’s career. 

Kate Bailey, curator of DIVA, said: “At the heart of this exhibition is a story of iconic performers who with creativity, courage and ambition have challenged the status quo and used their voice and their art to redefine and reclaim the diva.Rihanna is a multifaceted, independent performer who has used her strong sense of self to shift the needle. She embodies the spirit of the nineteenth century divas and shows us today how divas don’t just create art, they are culture-makers, entrepreneurs and activists. We are delighted to showcase a range of objects that reflect how Rihanna has used her authentic voice to make a difference - from Bajan ambassador to style icon to music pioneer. The V&A with its world class collections of art design and performance and its mission to inspire creativity in all its forms is the perfect stage to celebrate the multifaceted Diva.”

Additional headline ensembles also announced today include Whitney Houston’s, floor length black and gold dress worn to receive her three Grammys for The Bodyguard soundtrack, including song of the year for single I Will Always Love You, designed by Marc Bouwer (1994); Billie Eilish’s Glastonbury ensemble (2019) designed by Stella McCartney; and a lilac Versace deconstructed suit worn by Lil Nas X on the MTV VMA red carpet (2021).

The looks are on display alongside 60 ensembles and 250 objects drawn from the V&A collection and loans from across the world, fashion, photography, design, costumes, music, and live performance. Through a sonic headset experience by Tonwelt, theatrical staging, and a planetarium style architectural take-over designed by BAFTA-winning video designer Tal Rosner, DIVA celebrates the powerful and personal stories of creativity, ambition, and resilience of some the best-known divas, from opera goddesses and silent movie stars to sirens of the big screen and today’s global megastars. The exhibition looks at how the performer has intersected with society and driven change through their platform and profile for social good and political change, including global civil rights and feminism.

DIVA demonstrates the phenomenal ability of the diva to transform, inspire and embrace the external and internal forces that contribute to defining, shaping, and worshipping a diva. Delving into the origins of the term ‘diva’ - meaning goddess in Italian - the exhibition explores how the meaning of the word has been subverted and embraced over time, and how the label has been reclaimed by performers, their fans and wider society.  

Of the 60 looks featured in the exhibition, many are rare or on display for the first time, including: a stage ensemble worn by Maria Callas as Norma in the Covent Garden Opera Company production of 'Norma' (1952); the fringed black dress worn by Marilyn Monroe as Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk in ‘Some Like it Hot’ (1959); iconic costumes designed by fashion designer for the stars Bob Mackie, including looks worn by Tina Turner, P!nk and CHER; a Louis XIV inspired look, with towering powdered wig and train worn by Elton John for his 50th birthday celebration, designed by Sandy Powell; Shirley Bassey’s couture pink gown designed by Julien Macdonald including customised wellington boots, worn on stage at Glastonbury (2007); and Janelle Monae’s ‘vulva pants’ designed by Duran Lantink for the music video ‘Pynk’ (2018);

Also on display will be examples of ephemera from the divadom including posters, song sheets and handwritten lyric sheets as well as personal objects and accessories owned by divas. DIVA also includes examples of diva branding, highlighting the entrepreneurial and enterprising spirit of these divas, as well key works by photographers and image-makers including Sheila Rock, David Corio, Denis Regan and Nick Knight. Finally, a video wall celebrates the art of drag and its relationship to the diva.

The voice of the diva is amplified by a sonic experience designed by world-leading sound designer Gareth Fry. This will be delivered by Tonwelt’s new Spheric headset system which includes ambisonics, a 360-degree surround sound. As visitors move through the galleries the headsets will trigger performances by individual divas creating an iconic and emotional soundtrack which plays throughout the exhibition and includes key music by Maria Callas, Jessye Norman, Aretha Franklin and Josephine Baker to Dolly Parton,Adele, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Sade, Beyoncé and Madonna.

DIVA is at the V & A Museum from 24 June 2023 – 7 April 2024

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