V&A unveils couture Christmas Tree by Miss Sohee

London’s V&A museum has unveiled a couture Christmas tree designed by London-based Korean fashion designer Miss Sohee, whose work is featured in its ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ exhibition.

Located in the V&A’s Cromwell Road grand entrance, the showstopping design, on display until January 4, 2023, reimagines the traditional Christmas tree into a dramatic couture gown, reflecting the museum’s tradition of showcasing innovative craftsmanship from around the world.

The Christmas tree stands three metres high and combines Miss Sohee’s signature style of vibrant silhouettes and intricate embroidery with religious statuary found around the museum. It is composed of a crepe-de-chine inner dress with a cascading snow-white silk chiffon cape embellished with star-inspired embroidery and Swarovski crystals, which sparkle and shimmer from the series of spotlights above.

Commenting on her Christmas tree design, Miss Sohee, said in a statement: “I feel honoured to be invited as a guest designer to be a part of such an exciting project, especially one that is centred around such a beautiful time of year.

“When I think of Christmas, it evokes nostalgia, angelic shades of white and familial warmth. To be able to constantly collaborate with the V&A has been such a wonderful and inspiring experience, and when it came to designing this Christmas tree, I really wanted to reinterpret the tree through my lens.”

Rosalie Kim, curator of Hallyu! The Korean Wave, added: “We're delighted to work with Miss Sohee for the V&A Christmas tree this year, whose ‘Peony Dress’ is a showstopping finale to our exhibition on Hallyu! The Korean Wave. I hope that visitors to the museum's Grand Entrance this Christmas will enjoy her glittering reinvention of the festive form in her own signature style.”

Miss Sohee is the latest fashion designer to be asked to create a Christmas tree for the museum. Previous installations have been created by Alexander McQueen, Es Devlin and Jasper Conran.