A truly magical exhibit is making its way to the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington on June 5, 2021. The exhibit is called ‘Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume’ and it showcases more than 70 original costumes from the Walt Disney Archives, spanning more than 55 years of film, television, and theater.

Tomorrow's World Today Disney Costume Exhibit 2

The display is made to illustrate how the understanding of Disney’s characters is partly shaped through the artistry of its costumes. The show explores the vision, craft, and process used to design and bring these clothes to life. In this regard, MoPOP executive director Alexis Lee stated, “In film, television, and theater, costuming is a tremendously powerful tool for storytelling and character development… Disney, in particular, is a master of the art and sets a standard for using wardrobe as a device for creative expression.”

The Disney costume exhibit originally premiered at the D23 Expo in 2019 but hasn’t been shown since then due to pandemic restrictions. The main gallery of the exhibition will be divided into three sections, Disney Heroes, Disney Villains, and Spaces Between, which houses the costumes for some of Disney’s more complex characters.

Some highlights in the Disney Heroes section include Belle’s village dress and gown from the 2017 Beauty and the Beast live-action film. Another attraction includes Giselle and Prince Edwards costumes from the 2007 movie Enchanted and two Mary Poppins dresses, one worn in the original 1964 film and one worn in the 2019 film Mary Poppins Returns. 

There is even a section in the Disney costume exhibit that includes ten Cinderella-related pieces such as gowns, tiaras, slippers, etc. And these accessories span from the large gown worn in the 2015 live-action Cinderella film to the gown worn by Anna Kendrick in the 2014 Into the Woods adaptation.

The Disney Villains section proves to be equally interesting, with costumes from the 1993 film Hocus Pocus, Angelina Jolie’s gown from Maleficent, costumes from the television series Once Upon a Time, and many more.