Estonia’s first fashion history museum opens at Keila-Joa Castle

Estonia’s first fashion history museum opened at Keila-Joa Castle on October 22, ERR reports. It is dedicated to the heritage of historical fashion, the aesthetics of different eras and stories that have shaped the fashion world.

The museum grew out of cooperation between the castle, also known as Schloss Fall, and the Alexander Vassiliev Paris Foundation. The castle has hosted fashion history exhibitions for 10 years.

The opening exhibition, “Red Carpet: From Ballrooms to Film Galas,” brings together haute couture from the Belle Époque, the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age and the atmosphere of international film festivals. Castle owner Andrei Dvorjaninov said the exhibition explores how fashion reflects history and how clothes, designers and film stars shape ideas of beauty, elegance and festive splendour.

The museum displays about 70 dresses from different decades, as well as jewellery, shoes, handbags, tiaras and period portraits. The collection includes dresses worn by Marlene Dietrich and Gloria Swanson, along with garments associated with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. A special focus is the work of costume designer Gilbert Adrian.

A separate room is dedicated to the Black Nights Film Festival, known as PÖFF. It features dresses designed by fashion designer Kirill Safonov and worn by festival founder Tiina Lokk at opening ceremonies. Photographs by Erlend Štaub show guests and scenes from the festival’s black carpet.