Poets in Vogue – Julia Slawska, Ursuline High School

Initially, poetry and fashion might not seem to have anything in common; one concerned with inner contemplation, and the other with external appearances, constantly changing. However, the National Poetry Library’s new exhibition seeks to connect the two, by focusing on seven female poets of the last century and their relationships with clothing, as well as how they link to their works.

Unusually for an exhibition, only one of the items is authentic. Sylvia Plath’s plaid skirt, once worn in Paris during a 1956 trip, stands in a glass display case, complete with her name embroidered on the inner hem. As a figure whose life is still subject to so much dissection, the co-curators decided to let Plath’s skirt speak for itself – minimal, polite, even stifled.

Anne Sexton’s vivid red reading dress, draped on a mannequin with outstretched arms, catches the eye as you walk in. A contemporary of Plath, with just as tumultuous a life, this dress is a recreation – she was cremated in her real one – but it still perfectly captures her person; assertive and glamorous. Sexton herself once performed a poetry reading here at Southbank in 1967, when they were still relatively novel, and the story goes that she blew kisses to the audience – a controversial move some saw as excessive self-revelation.

But the exhibition’s aim isn’t the reduction of these poets to their physical appearances – something all too common for women. It’s to reshape the narratives around their lives and to explore their expressions of self and creativity through fashion. Co-curators Sophie Oliver and Sarah Parker insist that we are past the point of thinking that fashion is merely something feminine or frivolous, and that the poets’ works are equally in focus throughout this exhibition.

Other exhibits are imaginative interpretations, which play up certain aspects of the poets’ work. Stevie Smith is portrayed through a series of white shirt collars, all with subtle differences, to express her purposeful repetitiveness; Edith Sitwell has a floor-to-ceiling tent dress inspired by her 1950 Lady Macbeth costume, highlighting her flair for the dramatic.

By Plath’s skirt in the corner, a record player gives visitors the chance to listen, as well as to view. Visitor Katie Pryor commented that this ‘was a nice touch – the opportunity to listen to the poets reading their own work gave them more humanity and allowed me to understand their intentions better, turning the words on the pages into something more.’

Poets in Vogue at the National Poetry Library, Southbank Centre, runs until September 10, 2023.