Party Of The Week: V&A reveals the fine art of a good party

Charlotte Cripps
Friday 17 July 2009 00:00 BST
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Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine turned up on Monday night to look at the wild and wacky designs of the V&A's latest exhibition, Telling Tales. She looked nearly as good as the fantastical Design Art itself, dressed in a gun-metal-grey-layered dress of silk and sequins, with an adder and scrollwork on the front of it, designed by Richard Sorger.

The party took place in the main entrance hall of the V&A, where Dale Chihuly's flamboyant 30ft glass chandelier hangs from under the dome. The DJ was the Lovely Jonjo, who played Bat for Lashes, Talking Heads, La Roux and Roxy Music, while guests sipped elderflower, mint and ginger ale.

The British architect David Adjaye gave a speech about how the exhibition captured a moment in contemporary design. The designs certainly weren't subtle, especially the bathboat and a huggable explosion cushion. The milliner Stephen Jones, whose splendid array of hats have recently been exhibited in the same gallery, was there, as was the fashion designer Betty Jackson and the former chairman of the Arts Council England Sir Christopher Frayling.

Quite a few of the designers appeared at the party, including Design Art superstar Tord Boontje, whose one-off 'Fig Leaf' wardrobe was the exhibition's centrepiece.

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