Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, PÖFF Garments Bring the Glitz to New Fashion Museum Near Tallinn

Estonia’s first fashion history museum recently opened at Keila-Joa Castle, also known as Schloss Fall, just more than 30 kilometers, or 17 miles, west of the Estonian capital of Tallinn. And the new museum’s inaugural exhibition, entitled “Red Carpet: From Ballrooms to Film Galas,” puts a spotlight on the intersection of cinema and fashion, taking visitors “from the haute couture of the Belle Époque to the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age and today’s international film festivals.”

One of the rooms in the show is dedicated to the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), whose 30th edition takes place Nov. 6-22.

Marking the anniversary, the displays in the festival-focused section explore the meeting point of cinema, fashion and festival glamour. Among the glitzy items to see are dresses created by Estonian fashion designer Kirill Safonov for the festival’s founder, Tiina Lokk, to wear at its opening ceremonies. Plus, photographs by festival photographer Erlend Štaub feature PÖFF guests and memorable moments on the event’s black carpet.

Throughout the exhibition, around 70 dresses are on display along with jewelry, shoes, handbags, tiaras and period portraits. Among the highlights are “dresses worn by Marlene Dietrich and Gloria Swanson, garments associated with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, and creations by legendary Hollywood costume designer Gilbert Adrian,” according to the museum and festival.

And the castle’s website says: “The red carpet has always been more than just a pathway to an event. It is a place where fashion, art, celebrity and self-expression meet.”

For film buffs living in or visiting Tallinn, the museum offers an opportunity to dive into the relationship between cinema and fashion beyond PÖFF screenings. “Over three decades, PÖFF has brought world cinema, encounters with filmmakers and the glamour of the red carpet to Estonia,” said the castle’s owner, Andrei Dvorjaninov.

“It explores how fashion reflects history, and how clothes, designers and film stars shape our understanding of beauty, elegance and the splendour of special occasions,” he says about the museum. And the PÖFF section “honors everyone who has helped Estonia become part of the international film community.”

The new museum builds on a decade-long partnership between Keila-Joa Castle and the Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation in Paris, which has brought a series of fashion history exhibitions to the historic estate.

Check out photos from the exhibition above and below.