Photographing Alberta’s Charles Frederick Worth Dress: From Forgotten Gown to Centrepiece

Today was a fashion historian’s fever dream.
We finally - finally - photographed Alberta Sturges Montagu’s black and gold House of Worth gown on a mannequin here at Mapperton. The first time I’ve ever seen it standing. Full height. Full splendour. And… I gasped.

Some of you may remember the moment I found it. I was three days back from the Petit Palais in Paris, where I’d just floated through the Worth: Inventing Haute Couture exhibition, swooning over gowns made for queens and empresses. I’d long known Alberta had one of her own - family whispers, sketchy records, tantalising clues - and then, as if conjured by the fashion gods themselves, I opened a long forgotten chest ... and there it was. Crumpled. Forgotten. Until now.

Yes, it had the original Worth label. Yes, I cried. Yes, I screamed. Yes, I sobbed.

Fast forward to one month later: Alberta’s Worth gown, upright on a mannequin, glowing with black silk and gold embroidery, caught in the light of Mapperton’s windows. It is, quite literally, dazzling. And it will take centre stage in the Mapperton coffee table book - out next year, if I can keep the secret that long.