She left a mark in the world of fashion.. How did Marie Antoinette become an icon of elegance throughout the ages?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Marie Antoinette died more than 230 years ago, but the presence of the French Queen remains strong in our modern era. Bright stars, such as Kylie Jenner and Miley Cyrus, embodied her style in fashion magazines, wearing transparent dresses or huge wigs.

Antoinette was also an inspiration for some fashion designers, including John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, and Alessandro Michele. On the other hand, Vogue magazine published “beauty secrets” of the last French queen, in honor of her 262nd birthday.

Like Marilyn Monroe or Joan of Arc, Marie-Antoinette transcended her historical persona to become a concept in her own right. Her image has become a symbol of beauty, indulgence and rebellion, as well as a negative view and historical prejudice against women.

Her legacy continues to be revived this week at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where the first ever British exhibition on this elegant queen is being held. “Marie Antoinette was an icon of fashion and elegance in her time, but never before has an exhibition been organized to highlight that wonderful legacy,” exhibition curator Sarah Grant told Ofoq News.

Antoinette's court was filled with hairdressers, fashion designers, and milliners, all of whom worked to create the luxurious looks that defined the French fashion scene in the late 18th century. In the museum, visitors will be able to wander through the light pink rooms and explore 250 pieces that paint a comprehensive picture of Antoinette’s life.

These include her dazzling jewels, on public display for the first time since her death, which were stored by the Queen herself in 1791, while trying to flee France to escape persecution. The exhibition includes countless hand fans, silk dresses, and beaded shoes.

Her favorite scents that she used to perfume herself in the morning, such as orris root, violet, and musk, were also reinvented to immerse the public in the atmosphere of the French court during the 18th century. But the queen’s life was not limited to elegance and luxurious perfumes. Before entering a room with crimson walls that contained the stained shirt that she wore in prison, and the guillotine blade that was allegedly used to cut off her head, the exhibition also conjured unpleasant but familiar smells for the queen, including the smell of rot and the smell of a river. The polluted seine, which ran near her cell where she was held for weeks. Antoinette's legacy was not without controversy, as she was subject to rumors, ridicule, and defamation in revolutionary "propaganda" during her reign.

Satirical cartoons depicted her as a sexual deviant, suggesting that her failure to produce an heir was due to her excessive lust. Today, it is remembered for its wealth and detachment from the struggle of the French people during a time of extreme poverty.

But the defining moment of Antoinette's life in the courtroom of public opinion may have been Antonia Fraser's 2001 biography of her, and Sofia Coppola's subsequent Oscar-winning 2006 film, starring Kirsten Dunst, which provided a captivating and sympathetic, if not without criticism, portrayal of the former queen. Grant explained that Fraser's account of Antoinette was from a "female perspective", portraying her as a child bride who was married off for political purposes at the age of 14, and who suddenly bore the burden of an empire on her shoulders.

The film was an entry point into the world of Marie-Antoinette for designer Jeremy Scott, who described it as “visually beautiful,” in his interview with Ofoq News. The exhibition includes dresses designed by Scott and inspired by Antoinette for the fall and winter 2020 season, which included tiered dresses and short “Rococo” dresses designed for the Italian fashion house “Moschino”, where he was previously the creative director.

These confectionery-style dresses are on display alongside other contemporary creations inspired by the Queen's elegant wardrobe, from Melina Canonero's Oscar-winning costumes in Coppola's film, to designs by Galliano and Lagerfeld for Dior and Chanel respectively. The exhibition honors Antoinette's lasting imprint on the world of fashion.