Cinderella Swarovski Exhibition

As a special treat before the release of the live action Cinderella film, I went to the exhibition hosted by Swarovski in London which is showcasing the costumes & props used in it. I thought I'd go over this first for you guys since I only went to it yesterday!

The attraction is like a walk on type as everything is shown chronologically with the story & replicas of the sets used along with the real props used & costumes on mannequins, starting from Lady Tremaine's arrival with Drizella & Anastasia upstairs which featured portraits of Cinderella's parents on a dressing table.

The next part was the cellar downstairs with Cinderella's rags on display along with the mice in glass case. There wasn't a lot to it compared to the other sections, but it was pretty cool seeing the props like the kitchen utensils & the bells the stepsisters would use to call Cinderella & the lighting helped give it that dark ambiance.

My second favourite part would have to be the next bit, which was the garden featuring Ella's dress in bits after her stepmother ruins it (which is made even more sad when a guide revealed that it was her mother's wedding dress) next to the beggar woman's rags, promptly followed by the Fairy Godmother's dress gleaming on display. This also included the giant pumpkin growing inside the greenhouse next to the gorgeous coach which people could go through to the ballroom section, with illuminant lights inside of it & a photographer on standby allowing you to have photo next to it.

Of course, the biggest highlight is the ballroom filled with the magnificent costumes and it did not disappoint. With Cinderella's billowing blue ballgown & the Prince's galliant suit rotating with Lady Tremaine's, the stepsisters & dignitaries surrounding it on full display, it was truly a site to behold along with the sparkling glass slipper rotating in a glass case opposite with lights around it with guards uniforms galliantly standing beside it. The attention to detail on every single costume was incredible to see, especially on the stepsisters' dresses with every flower embroidered looking magnificent in every single stitch!

The final part was a Swarovski section with a guide going into detail about how they contributed to the film, where it was revealed 10,000 Swarovski crystals were used on Cinderella's dress alone & that one glass slipper weighed one kilogram & it took five months to only make one! They also advertised a bit of their jewellery line along with crystal figures of Cinderella & the glass slipper you could buy at the gift shop (I ended up buying a butterfly pendant). There was another bit where you could have your photo taken trying on a glass slipper which they'd digitally add on, but I decided not to do it.

But don't worry, there's still plenty out there for fans of the original 1950 film! The beginning featured a bit of history on the original film, including some concept art from the Disney archives by Mary Blair & drawings by Marc Davies where the guide also revealed that the film helped save the Disney studios as they had lost a lot of money back in World War II. It was such a delight to see including posters, figurines, an interactive book and even tie-in merchandise like toys in glass cases. Cinderella may not be my ultimate favourite Disney animated film, but it was so nice to see them pay tribute to the original classic & not completely ignore it, something which I've also heard of for the remake itself & it made me even more anticipated to see it (which I watched today & will promptly write my review on)

If anyone wants to see this exhibit, it's at Leicester Square Gardens in London (the closest stop via tube is Leicester Square & is a 5 minute walk & is right next to the Odeon) and is open until 10th April! If you want to know about ticket prices, they are all free with no charge! All you have to do is book a timeslot on Ticketmaster, but I must warn you, get them in advance cos they're selling out like hotcakes! I am so so glad that I went to this event because it is definitely something Disney fans will enjoy & for people of all ages, rather it be children for the new film or love Disney princess flicks or for those who want the nostalgia of the original 1950 film!