From Oscar winning actress to real life Princess, Grace Kelly had a life that every girl would dream of.   But not only was Grace known for her exotic life and film performances,  she was equally know for her exquisite sense of style and fashion.

For the next four months the Victoria and Albert Museum in London will be displaying the quintessential collection of Kelly’s wardrobe, pulled together from across the world and seen for the first time in one collection.

With a wardrobe of dresses by designers from Dior and Yves San Laurent, to Balenciaga and Coco Chanel, Kelly’s unique style made her an icon for women everywhere.

The exhibition is divided into three categories:  ”The actress”, “The bride” and “The Princess”, three major milestones in Kelly’s life.

“The Actress” features outfits from several of Kelly’s films, including the famed black chiffon dress from Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”, three costumes from famous musical “High Society” and the dress she wore to collect her Best Actress Oscar in 1955.

“The Bride” is a chronological look at the outfits worn by Kelly from her first meeting with Prince Rainier of Monaco through to their wedding.  Starting with the floral silk taffeta dress she wore at the photo shoot they met, all the way through to the actual lace boddice and skirt she wore at their civil marriage ceremony in 1956.

“The Princess” is the final part of Kelly’s story and looks at the development of her style after her ‘appointment’ as the Princess of Monaco.  With pieces from the fifties all the way through to the early eighties, it’s a perfect way to see how Kelly’s style changed with the fashion of the times – compare for example the famous Yves Saint Laurent “Mondrian Dress” through to a stunning purple gown from the same designer created in 1981.

There are also cabinets full of Kelly’s hats, sunglasses and accessories, including the original Hermes ‘Kelly Bag’ – used by Kelly to hide her baby bump from prying press photographers and inadvertently starting a worldwide trend in the process.

All the pieces are in absolute mint condition and the chance to get up close and personal and see the detail on the outfits is just absolutely amazing.

Of course, it’s not just fans of Grace Kelly who can take something away from this exhibit;  fans of fashion will get just as much of a thrill at this fantastic opportunity to see a collection full of designer outfits and the evolution of a style icon’s wardrobe over the course of three decades.

In an age where any footballer’s girlfriend with a credit card and a personal shopper at Harvey Nicks can be proclaimed a ‘style icon’, it really is a breath of fresh air to look back at a time where understated elegance and class were necessary to be awarded that particular title.

At time of writing the exhibition is on for four months (until late September ’10) and at just £6 to get in this is a one of a kind experience that is certainly not to be missed.

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