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Princess Leia’s gold bikini aside, it’s hard to think of a more iconic piece of swimwear than Pamela Anderson’s red Baywatch one-piece. High legged, low cut and striking pillar box red, the swimsuit is so legendary it’s worth putting in an exhibition. And that’s exactly what’s happening in London next spring, as Anderson’s swimsuit will feature in a Design Museum exhibition named ‘Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style’.
The exhibition is all about, you guessed it, swimming, exploring our 100-year love affair with all things aquatic. Alongside Anderson’s striking swimwear, the exhibition will feature 200 other swim-themed objects, from the first Olympic solo swimming gold medal ever won by a woman to a selection of risqué 1980s speedos.
Starting in the 1920s, the exhibition will explore everything from early examples of swimwear advertising to more recent swim-related cultural moments. Like the viral mermaid-core trend of 2020. Remember that? The exhibition will be split into three sections, ‘pool’, ‘lido’ and ‘nature’, and will dive deep into history, fashion, mythology and popular culture.
‘Splash!’ is curated by Amber Butchart, who you might know from her history segments on The Great British Sewing Bee. Growing up by the sea in Margate, she explains that ‘the history of swimwear and swimming is fascinating as it mirrors wider changes in society over the past century, whether that’s around issues of bodily autonomy and agency, or how we spend our leisure time’.
No, you might not get to see Pamela’s swimsuit in all its slow-mo glory, but you will get to inspect the stitching up close. Sound like fun? You can bag your tickets today on the Design Museum website.
Whether you prefer front-crawl, backstroke or fly, catch ‘Splash!’ at the Design Museum until August 2025. Exhibition opens March 28 2025.
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