Mother was the Bride:
Bridal Dress in Memories
Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles
New Exhibit Now Open at Lacis Museum
OPENING CELEBRATION: The Quirkiest Reception Ever! on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 1 pm to 4 pm
Step into a world of bridal fashion!
BERKELEY, CA — Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles is delighted to announce the opening of its newest exhibition, Mother Was the Bride: Bridal Dress in Memories.
This exhibition highlights recurring fashions in wedding gowns across three centuries. Grouped by distinctive features, the exhibition reveals how successive eras reimagined fashion details, shifting from the elegance of the 18th century to the excess of the late Victorians, through the sensual lines of the 1930s, to the exuberant maximalism of the 1980s, and beyond. Seen together, these ensembles reveal how decades of bridal fashion remain in dialogue and exciting variations emerge.
Mother Was the Bride... but you may have seen that dress before!
Bridal fashion is never just about the moment — it is a conversation between past and present. This exhibit explores how recurring silhouettes, embellishments, and stylistic features — from high waists to puffed sleeves to sleek minimalism — resurface across time, sometimes decades or centuries later. Visitors are invited to discover the designs that connect one bride's gown to another's, weaving a visual vocabulary that spans generations.
OPENING CELEBRATION — The Quirkiest Reception Ever
To toast the opening, the Museum invites the public to a playful, wedding-reception-inspired fête on Saturday, August 23, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The cake-cutting will take place at 3:00 pm.
Guests can enjoy:
Dress Code: The bride is queen for the day — regal attire encouraged, hats always in style!
Admission is free! Kindly help us to plan ahead by RSVPing via Eventbrite.
Can't make the reception? Book a tour!
Call (510) 843-7290 Mon. - Sat., 12 - 6 PM or email info@lacismuseum.org.
About Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
A Berkeley landmark since 1965, LMLT preserves and celebrates the artistry of lace, textiles, costume, and fashion history. Through its retail store, exhibitions, classes, and events, LMLT fosters both the practice and appreciation of historic and contemporary textile and needle arts.
