Join New York-based designer, Marc Bouwer, and V&A Senior Conservator, Rachael Lee, as they take a close-up look at the glittering dress worn by Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards in 1994. Bouwer's long-term working relationship with Whitney Houston saw him create hundreds of on-stage looks for the singer, each tailored to her preference for ease of movement and support for her vocal chords. Discover the inspiration behind the striking design and the painstaking process of its embellishment as the dress is prepared for display in our DIVA exhibition (24 June 2023 – 7 April 2024).

00:00 Unboxing Whitney Houston’s dress
00:31 Introducing the dress at the V&A
00:40 Whitney wearing the dress at the Grammys
01:06 Dress designer, Marc Bouwer, in his NY studio
01:16 African-inspired dress design
02:00 Dress construction and fit
03:10 Embellishment
04:39 Original design for the dress
05:05 Mounting the dress
06:25 Ready for display in the DIVA exhibition

DIVA exhibition: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/diva

More on costume at the V&A: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/cos...