Story of the Supremes

The Story of the Supremes is on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum until the 19th October 2008 with the exhibition of several of their performance costumes from the sixties and seventies. Glamorous, vibrant, sparkling, but above all unique, the Story of the Supremes is a fascinating exhibition that pin points the changing attitudes towards race in the Western world more than 30 years ago.

Charting the changing nature of the group along with the advances in fashion at the time, 50 outfits on display take the Story of the Supremes from the early days of the group when they were known as the Primettes to the Hollywood style designs they wore on stage at the height of their success.

With 12 US number 1 hits in between 1964 and 1969 the Supremes had unprecedented success. Not only were they an all female group, they were all black too, and their upbeat, soulful Motown music was largely responsible for crossing the boundaries between black and white culture in the sixties both in the US and in the UK.

Renowned for their glamorous costumes and their stunning outfits, the girls dresses make up the bulk of this historical exhibition. Dresses designed by the Hollywood designer Bob Mackie and costumes they wore on the Ed Sullivan show are some of the highlights of the show, along with the Butterfly gowns which appear on the cover of the Cream of the Criop album from 1969.

Other dresses such as the black velvet gowns encrusted with rhinestones, pearls and god brocade which the girls wore to meet the Queen Mother are also on display in the Story of the Supremes. Original photographs, television footage and magazine spreads also highlight the importance of the group as black female role models for the period. By appearing on radio and television across the globe, they successfully broke down racial barriers and introduced black music to a predominently white audience.

Renowned for their sparkled, spangled and glittery dresses, the Supremes are also responsible for influencing many of the following girl groups over the years. Destiny's Child and Beyonce are just two of the musical acts that have a touch of the Supremes about them. A set of the girl bands costumes are also on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum, alongside an interview with Trevor Nelson who discusses the story of the Supremes and today's generation of girl groups.

The Story of the Supremes runs until the 19th October 2008. Tickets are £5.00 for adults and the exhibition is free for under 18s.

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