The Little Museum of Dublin presents Irish costume in cinema exhibition

“From the functional to the fabulous, this is a chance to relive some of our favourite cinematic moments.”

Sunday Independent

What are you wearing? What are you like? The answer to the first question is also the answer to the second question. Indeed our clothes often say far more than the words we use to communicate. Costume designers have long known this – and Ireland is blessed to have some of the most talented experts in the field.

The most iconic costumes from Irish cinema took centre stage at the Little Museum during summer 2015. This exciting exhibition, in collaboration with Irish Design 2015, celebrated the role played by costume designers in Irish movies for the last three decades.

Curated by lauded costume designer Eimer Ni Mhaoldomnaigh and costume historian Veerle Dehaene, the exhibition explored costume design in Irish cinema from the iconic My Left Foot to more contemporary productions such as Calvary, featuring work by Oscar-winning designer Sandy Powell and Joan Bergin amongst others.

Visitors got up close with Brendan Gleeson’s cassock from Calvary; leaf through the behind-the-scenes photographs of Julia Roberts in Michael Collins; witness clothing from My Left Foot to Breakfast on Pluto, Jimmy’s Hall and much more in between.

Painstakingly sourced from the private collections of costume designers and actors who luckily preserved these costumes as personal mementos or as culturally significant items, this remarkable exhibition explored the costume design methods and sources used including vintage shops, costume makers, tailors and family heirlooms. The exhibition ran in The Ireland Funds Gallery during August & September 2015.