21 May - 30 August

Sketch to Stage: The Making of a Dress

Archive Gallery

This immersive exhibition explores the complex process of bringing a costume to life, focusing on a bespoke dress worn by acclaimed British soprano Louise Alder at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms in 2025.

Designed by international set and costume designer Nicky Shaw, the dress was realised by Glyndebourne’s costume department under the expertise of Senior Cutter Beryl Waldron and the Ladies’ Workroom. The dress will be exhibited alongside a selection of Nicky Shaw’s original and annotated costume designs, and photographs documenting the fabrication process at Glyndebourne.

Sketch to Stage: The Making of a Dress is on display in the Archive Gallery

Louise Alder at Last Night of the Proms, 2025. Photo by Pablo Strong.

Facsimiles of original designs hand-annotated by the designer, Nicky Shaw. 2025.

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