Golden Threads: Dress from Saudi Arabia

Golden Threads: Dress from Saudi Arabia opens at the V&A South Kensington on Saturday 17 October, and it's a rare look at royal dress from the mid-twentieth century. The exhibition is in The Jameel Gallery (Gallery 42) and brings together a group of garments from the Najd region, the homeland of the Saud family. Each one is embellished with metal-wrapped thread that gives them a golden shimmer, and they're shown alongside a short film.

There's a specific story behind them, too. They were gifts from King Abdulaziz, who founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, following the Islamic tradition of rulers presenting fine garments to foreign visitors. He gave these colourful, voluminous thobes to the daughter of Sir Hugh Stonehewer Bird, the British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in 1942 and 1952. They were worn at weddings and other special occasions, and their materials and embroidery point to wider global connections, particularly with India.

The V&A acquired the collection recently, through a donation from Sir Hugh Stonehewer Bird's family, so it's a piece of Saudi textile heritage that's only just come into public view. The display is part of the V&A's Jameel Programme, which is marking 20 years of The Jameel Gallery in partnership with Community Jameel.

It runs from Saturday 17 October 2026 to Sunday 30 May 2027, 10:00 to 17:00 daily, at The Jameel Gallery, V&A South Kensington, Gallery 42, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Entry is free.