KSW x National Museum of Iceland
A VOYAGE IN HISTORY - A BRIDAL COSTUME
One of the most extraordinary bridal costumes in Icelandic history will be the centrepiece of a new exhibition at the National Museum of Iceland. Opening in the Arc Hall on 9 May 2026, The Bridal Costume exhibition unveils the remarkable story of an 18th-century Icelandic faldbúningur bridal costume once believed to have been lost forever in a shipwreck off Iceland’s southern coast.
Dating primarily from the late 18th century, the historic bridal costume was long thought to have disappeared at sea in 1809. Documentary evidence of its existence survived, however, including a famous account written in 1866 by Sigurður Guðmundsson “the Painter” — curator, artist, and pioneer of the revival of traditional Icelandic costume — who lamented the loss of the treasured garments and textiles.
Decades later, the story took an unexpected turn. In 1963, renowned textile and costume specialist Elsa E. Guðjónsson rediscovered the missing costume in the collection of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Six years later, the costume was loaned to the National Museum of Iceland for exhibition, and now returns once again to Reykjavík in a landmark cultural event.
The exhibition explores the costume’s astonishing and often unbelievable journey through Icelandic history:
- How did this magnificent Icelandic bridal costume end up aboard an English ship that caught fire off the Icelandic coast in 1809?
- What role did Jørgen Jørgensen play in rescuing it from the wreck?
- How did the costume eventually become part of one of Britain’s most important museum collections?
- What is a faldbúningur costume, and what makes this example such a rare Icelandic bridal costume?
- Who originally owned and wore the garment?
- Was the mysterious “Mother of Flowers” involved in embroidering parts of the costume?
- Are there any surviving examples of similar Icelandic costumes today?
Visitors to The Bridal Costume exhibition will have the rare opportunity to see one of Iceland’s finest historical garments up close while discovering its dramatic story — from the late 1700s to the present day.
The Studio was lucky enough to work alongside the incredible team of the museum to bring the tale to life through a specially created visual installation woven throughout the exhibition space and the museum shop.
The Bridal Costume opens on 9 May 2026 at the National Museum of Iceland and will remain open for one year.
COLLAGE WORKSHOP
