Dress Codes | Kensington Palace, London

Featuring a range of historical and contemporary garments, the exhibition required a lighting scheme that would enhance the narrative, highlight intricate details, and maintain strict conservation requirements for the objects on display.

Enhancing Dress Codes Storytelling with Precision Illumination

Lighting design in heritage spaces comes with unique challenges, particularly when working with delicate textiles and historical artifacts. Many of the garments in Dress Codes required strict conservation lighting levels, meaning careful consideration was needed to balance visual clarity with conservation.

Michael Grubb Studio developed a scheme that combined existing track lighting with RGB lighting integrated into the setworks, providing excellent flexibility and control throughout the gallery. This allowed for precise illumination adjustments to ensure objects were evenly lit while staying within conservation limits. The contemporary exhibition design by All Things Studio featured graphic architectural elements, which we complemented with subtle but effective lines of light to reinforce the spatial design.

Fine-tuning was critical, particularly in the showcases, where even the slightest adjustments had an impact on visibility and preservation.

Lighting That Balances Conservation and Visitor Experience

The final lighting scheme successfully achieves a balance between conservation, storytelling, and aesthetic impact. Visitors experience a space where fashion is brought to life with carefully controlled yet striking lighting, ensuring each object is seen, appreciated, and preserved for future generations.