Estonia’s first fashion history museum has opened at Keila-Joa Castle, also known as Schloss Fall, more than 30 kilometres west of Tallinn. Its inaugural exhibition, “RED Carpet: From Ballrooms to Film Galas,” traces the connections between fashion and cinema, from Belle Époque couture to Hollywood’s Golden Age and contemporary film festivals.
Around 70 dresses are on display, alongside jewellery, shoes, handbags, tiaras and period portraits. The exhibition includes dresses worn by Marlene Dietrich and Gloria Swanson, garments associated with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, and designs by Hollywood costume designer Gilbert Adrian.
One room focuses on the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, known as PÖFF, whose 30th edition runs from November 6 to 22. The section features dresses designed by Estonian designer Kirill Safonov for festival founder Tiina Lokk to wear at opening ceremonies, as well as photographs by festival photographer Erlend Štaub documenting guests and moments on the black carpet.
Keila-Joa Castle owner Andrei Dvorjaninov said PÖFF has brought international cinema, filmmaker encounters and red-carpet events to Estonia over more than three decades. The museum’s displays explore how fashion reflects history and how clothing, designers and film stars have shaped ideas of beauty and elegance.
The museum builds on a decade-long partnership between Keila-Joa Castle and the Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation in Paris, which has brought fashion history exhibitions to the estate.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.