AN EVENING bodice worn by Empress Eugenie of France is on loan from the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle in a landmark exhibition at the V&A in London.

The bodice, together with a newly created matching skirt, is one of the highlights of Opera: Passion, Power and Politics – the first show in The Sainsbury Gallery, part of the V&A's new Exhibition Road Quarter.

Joanna Hashagen, curator of fashion and textiles at the Bowes Museum, said: “The curator, Kate Bailey, wanted a beautiful mid-19th Century dress that had been worn to the opera, and as the Empress was a devotee the idea of recreating a skirt to match her bodice for this show was born.”

The historical and theatrical costumier Luca Costigliolo was invited to reconstruct a flounced skirt, funded by the V&A, but first came the difficult and intricate task of working out the pattern repeat as the garment was so tiny.

Leon Maurice, senior lecturer of the school of design at Northumbria University, was able to digitally work out the pattern repeat, leading to his creating a digital print of meandering trails of flowers to mirror the woven chiné pattern of the bodice, a technique previously untried.

Silk fabric sourced from Como, in Italy, was then printed by the Centre for Advanced Textiles at Glasgow School of Art using the digital design.

“The original bodice and new skirt look amazing together and form an important part of the exhibition,” said Ms Hashagen.