V&A’s ‘Order an Object’ Program Gets You Eye-to-Eye With Fashion History

If you’ve ever left a fashion exhibition wishing you could take a closer look at the pieces on display, then you’re in luck. Order an Object, an unprecedented new on-demand service from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, extends a level of access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive fashion collection that was previously only granted to designers, fashion students, and other industry professionals. Beginning Saturday, May 31, you can book a free private appointment at the new V&A East Storehouse facility in Olympic Park to view any of the 71,000 fashion pieces among the museum’s holdings, which include more than half a million objects from every creative discipline.

To make a reservation, simply browse the V&A’s online catalog and add up to five objects to your cart. A padded gingham ensemble from Comme des Garçons’ spring 1997 Lumps and Bumps collection, a Bar suit from Christian Dior’s spring 1947 New Look collection, and a trompe l’oeil bow sweater dating to 1927 that was Elsa Schiaparelli’s first ever design are but a few of the many tempting options.

You can then choose a date anywhere from two weeks to a year in advance when you’d like to come in to see your selects in person. At your rendezvous, a member of the V&A’s new collection access team will be on hand to facilitate, offering magnifiers and conservation-grade lighting along with helpful guidance. They can advise whether it’s best to touch a particular dress or pair of shoes with clean hands, nitrile gloves, or in some cases, with just your eyes.

Order an Object makes scheduling quality time with museum-worthy vintage fashion just as easy as shopping on Net-a-Porter. It’s all possible thanks to the V&A’s ambitious program for the V&A East Storehouse, a Diller Scofidio+Renfro-designed storage facility that aims to foster a more collaborative and interactive experience for museum goers. Spanning four levels, the cavernous 16,000 square meter warehouse-like space is larger than 30 basketball courts and feels something like a cross between a community center and a special collections library. It features rows and rows of open storage racking for visitors to explore at their own pace, along with 100 curated end cap displays, such as a 1990s Vivienne Westwood raincoat placed beside Timberland boots to illustrate how synthetic materials deteriorate over time.

“V&A East Storehouse has been designed to transform access to our collections for the public, and our Order and Object service is a huge part of that,” says Kate Parsons, Director of Conservation, Collections Care & Access. “We’re hoping that it will really empower new audiences by demonstrating that you do not need credentials.” In the first week after reservations opened on May 13, the museum received 200 bookings to view a total of 800 objects.

The most popular is a hot pink, elaborately draped and flounced silk taffeta Balenciaga couture gown from 1954, scheduled for four separate appointments. Parsons is happy to be welcoming a number of students from the nearby London College of Fashion who want to look at the historic garments they’re studying in class up close, but she’s equally delighted by visitors planning to stop by for pure enjoyment. “Any reason to view the collection is a good reason,” says Parsons. Among her favorite reasons: I’m getting married and I’d like to check out 1930s wedding dresses, and It’s my birthday.