NOMINATION !

Unfortunately  "A Royal Affair" didn´t win any Golden Globes, but there is still a chance at The Oscars in february. The danish movie is nominated in the category, Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

The film by Nikolaj Arcel, produced in 2012, is based on a periodic drama that took place at the Court in Denmark around 1769-72.

It´s a story that focuses on the romance between the Danish Queen Caroline Matilda (1751-75) - and the Germean Count Johann Friedrich von Struensee, the Royal Physician of mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway  (1749-1808).

J.F. Struensee, managed through his influence on the King to reform the country in many ways, but was eventually overthrown and executed in 1772.

Christian VII's and Caroline Mathilde marriage was dissolved and she was deported back to Germany.

 The Queen and Struensee playing chess, while the king is teasing a parrot.

 The King is looking at Struensee and the Queen, holding their daugther.

King Christian VII

ROYAL GALA - A REVIEW

Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark
by Andy Warhol

With much anticipation I finally had a chance to take a look at The Exhibition Royal Gala - Fairytale Haute Couture on the occasion of The Queens 40 years as Sovereign of Denmark .

The Exhibition, that I mentioned in this previous post, was on display at The Chronological Collection of the Danish Kings at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen.
A selection of dresses from 4 decades were on display. Most of the dresses were made by couturier Jørgen Bender (1938-1999) in cooperation with the Queen herself.
The Queen´s style is her very own, unconventional and bold. She is not afraid of colors and that is quite refreshing.

There was a few dresses from Erik Mortensen (1926-98) of Balmain. The Queen have through the years recieved several dresses as gifts from Jørgen Bender and Erik Mortensen at different occasions.

Verner Enquist, the compagnon of Bender, took over when he died and have made a few dresses too.

Their successor was taylor, Mogens Eriksen, who also did quite a few of her dresses.

Uffe Frank, a danish designer in Milan, Italy, designed the dress for the Queens 60th birthday and the Wedding-dress of Crown-princess Mary.

Recently tailor Birgitte Thaulow have been the one, who has executed the dresses of the Queen. This process was by the way shown with a small display within the exhibition.

As a professional I was excited to have a closer look at the designs and the execution of the dresses.
But, I must admit that I was slightly disappointed about the very traditional display.
Because most of the dresses was only shown from one side, since they were protected behind glass. Except 4 dresses in a montre that you could walk around. Five of the oldest dresses from the 60´es were even placed several meters away from the viewing point.

Some mirrors here and there would have been nice or some of the dresses slowly turning around, would have given the visitors a better experience.
Apart from that I was happy to see this exhibition, that is recommendable if you are into tailoring, fashion history and royalty.

But I will definitely look forward to the other exhibition.

Coralred silk taffeta gown by Jørgen Bender 1994

 Black, bold tulle Ballgown for her 60th birthday, by Uffe Frank

Changing midnight-blue silk taffeta gown for her 50th birthday,by Erik Mortensen/Balmain 1990, altered a few times with added black lace. Photos: Roberto Fortuna

ROYAL EXHIBITIONS

This year we will be celebrating Queen Margrethe of Denmark, because of her 40th Jubilee as a Monarch, with two special exhibitions, that I personally look forward to.

The first one is a retrospective exhibition at The Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, that tells the story of her role as a Monarch.

The other one "Kongelig Galla" - Eventyrlig Couture at "De Danske Kongers kronologiske Samling" at Amalienborg Castle, displays a selection of the Queen´s Gala-dresses since the 1960´es from Danish and international Couturiers as Pierre Balmain. Absolutely a must see if you like fashion-history and Haute Couture.

A ROYAL WEDDING DRESS

In 2004 I was approach by the founder of Tidens Samling, the late Annette Hage. She was planning a Special exhibition in connection with the Royal wedding between Crown-prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson later this year. 

 

She wanted me to create my bit on how a Royal wedding dress could look like. I came up with this classic design, but in a cognac-colored Dupion silk. 

The wedding dress has an empire-cut, long wide sleeves and a long square train with a big border and of course a matching lace veil.

It was mentioned in different papers and magazines.