LAUNCH EXHIBITION

Cecil Beaton's contribution to 20th century art and design is unequalled. He dressed the stars of stage and screen with style and originality, photographed them artfully in his creations and wrote about them candidly in his memoirs.

Beaton's artwork is also uniquely inspiring and recognisable ñ bold and chic, with fluid spontaneous brush strokes - and is just as fresh and relevant to contemporary design today.

The 'Sketchbook' collection takes Beaton's fashion drawings from his 1954 book 'The Glass of Fashion' and reinvents them as fabric and wallpaper. This award-winning* collection features deco debutantes, catwalk couture, saucy sailors, Edwardian hats and a surrealist interpretation of Garbo's Eye, with whom he had an affair. (*'Beaton Beauties' Winner, Best of the Best Awards, Best New Fabric Print 2008, Living Etc / Focus 2008).

Thursday 24th & Friday 25th September 2009
10am - 7.30pm at The Royal Academy of Engineering, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London.