About the Project:
I was commissioned to make a series of wigs for the “Marie Antoinette Style” exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum which opened on 20th September 2025 and runs until 22nd March 2026. These wigs were six of twenty-four I made and were coined the “Soft Curl Wigs”.
The wigs for this group were intended to be smaller in height than the elaborate wigs with soft curls curling upwards from the hairline. This group featured a range of colours of crinoline; black (x2), lilac, champagne, ivory and rose pink. They were all constructed onto frames made of Rigiline boning that had been covered in dress netting fabric.
The reference image for this style was an image of Kirsten Dunst. Kirsten Dunst starred as the title character in the 2006 historical drama film Marie Antoinette. The movie was written, directed, and produced by Sofia Coppola and offers a modern, stylish interpretation of the infamous queen’s life. These wigs were also going to be made in black for two historic objects that would be wearing objects with hoods pulled up on top of the wigs.
Top left image and top right image (centre pink dress):
Costume worn by the actress Kirstin Dunst in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006)
Gown and hat from the ‘Chapel’ scene
THE PASTEL COLOURED WIGS TOGETHER
LILAC, ROSE PINK, CHAMPAGNE AND IVORY
BLACK
Top left image:
Domino
Unknown maker
1765-70, altered about 1775
(A Domino is an 18th-century historical costume consisting of a voluminous, hooded cloak and a half-face mask, traditionally black but sometimes white or blue. Worn by men and women at masquerades and fancy dress parties, the costume’s wide sleeves and overall voluminous design could completely hide a person’s clothing, facilitating disguise, intrigue, and freedom of movement.)
Top right image:
Brunswick
Unknown maker
About 1765-75
(A Brunswick is an informal, hooded, hip-length or three-quarter length jacket and matching skirt ensemble popular in the 18th century, particularly for traveling or daywear. Derived from German fashion, it featured a high neckline, two-part sleeves with elbow flounces, and a sack-like back, often made in fine fabrics like silk and worn with a petticoat and a waistcoat.)
About:
- The wigs were made to fit onto both papier-mâché and abstract fibreglass mannequin heads.
- The wigs were constructed onto frames made of Rigiline boning, with the black versions covered in black bias-binding.
- Dress netting was used to create a base layer upon which to attach the crinoline
- They were made from different colours of crinoline, built up in many layers and shaped using stitches to match the hairstyle in reference images I was given of Marie Antoinette.
More details about the project as a whole and how I made these wigs can soon be read in a blog post here.
The exhibition is currently touring and will next be on display at The Yokohama Museum of Art in Japan from August 1st – November 23rd 2026.