A London museum has launched a Taylor Swift exhibition packed with iconic memorabilia. Check out all 13 installations and the Easter eggs to look out for.
The 13 "chapters" on display in the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail each spotlight a particular era of the star's musical career, and they are brought to life through clothing, items, and accessories on loan from her personal archive.
The installations are dotted throughout the sprawling museum, creating a dialogue between the chapters of the exhibition and the V&A's permanent collection.
As Kate Bailey, senior curator of theater and performance at the V&A, told Business Insider: "It's a whole museum effort and collaboration, which offers a lot for Swifties and visitors coming this summer."
There are, of course, also plenty of Easter eggs for fans to spot across the Songbook Trail.
Here's a rundown of what can be found at each stop.
First stop: The playboy millionaire ensemble Swift wore in "The Man" music video.
Installation shot of the "Lover" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
On display are the Versace shirt, Tommy Bahama trousers, wig, and facial hair that turned Swift into the self-absorbed, man-spreading, tantrum-throwing protagonist of the single taken from her 2019 "Lover" album.
They are displayed alongside Swift's director's chair and the VMA Award she won in recognition of her skills as a director for the music video.
The display case is flanked by the goddesses Venus and Diana. It is set against a backdrop of Valhalla mosaics, which celebrates male artistry and craftsmanship — a "playful" nod to Swift's takedown of the patriarchy, Bailey said.
Next up is a stage costume from her 2018 "Reputation" tour, a snake-adorned microphone, and never-before-seen boots.
Installation shot of the "Reputation" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
The sequin-adorned dress is by designer Jessica Jones, while the thigh-skimming boots are by Swift's onstage shoe designer of choice, Christian Louboutin.
Also on display are one of the microphones Swift used on the "Reputation" stadium tour and a pair of Gucci boots worn by the singer for her secret "Reputation" listening session in London. The snake motif, as seen on both items, typifies the era's aesthetic.
The display is completed with a large poster featuring artwork from Swift's "Reputation" album, which sits behind the display case.
"This space is usually the home of the 'Three Graces,' so it's a very monumental museum space," Bailey noted, which she said made it the perfect place to "represent the 'Reputation' era."
The gown worn by Swift on the back cover of the "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" album gets a moment to itself.
Installation shot of the "Speak Now" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
The ethereal dress, designed by Reem Acra, is displayed alongside the Capezio ballet shoes that also appeared in the album shoot and a ukulele played by Swift on the "Speak Now" World Tour in 2011 and 2012.
The 18th-century room "celebrates the art of music," Bailey said, adding that the paneling in the room features instrument motifs such as violins.
"As a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and singer, Taylor Swift is at the helm of her creative output" on the album, Bailey said.
Snippets of "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" play on a loop inside the room.
Items from "Red" can be found near a lavishly upholstered 18th-century four-poster bed and ornate tapestry.
Installation shot of the "Red" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
The cap worn on the cover of Taylor Swift's 2021 album "Red (Taylor's Version)" and the Tadashi Shoji dress worn in the music video for "I Bet You Think About Me" (a "From The Vault" track released in 2021) face each other in this room.
The rich red shade of the dress is matched by the equally luxuriant crimson velvet of the bed frame and contrasted by the earthy hues of the tapestry hanging behind it.
A theatrical costume worn by Swift on her first headline tour, the "Fearless" tour, is displayed on a high balcony.
Installation shot of the "Fearless" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
Swift wore the Elizabethan-style dress for performances of "Love Story," her hugely popular reimagining of Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, "Romeo and Juliet."
In a nod to the play, the dress is displayed on a high balcony overlooking the room.
For those wanting a closer look, it can also be viewed from behind on Level 2 of the museum. Those who peer into the display case will be rewarded with an Easter egg that Swift herself would be proud of: the mannequin is standing in front of an open copy of "Romeo and Juliet."
Outfits from the 2015 tour of the "1989" album are shown in gilded frames next to paintings by the Renaissance artist Raphael.
Installation shot of the "1989" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
To the left is a sequined catsuit designed by Zuhair Murad and a pair of Stuart Weitzman boots. The right case features a crop top, jacket, and mini skirt ensemble designed by Jessica Jones.
It's not hard to see why "1989" has been chosen to be displayed in a room celebrating the pinnacle of the Renaissance.
Like the art of the time, the album was a groundbreaking work that confirmed Swift's status as an icon.
One stage outfit Swift wore back in 2007 can be seen in the V&A's fashion section.
Installation shot of the "Taylor Swift" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
Swift wore the ensemble as she opened for country music legends Tim McGraw and Faith Hill a year after the release of her self-titled debut album.
The tulle turquoise dress was worn with designer cowboy boots adorned with the singer's name and her lucky number 13.
It's displayed alongside a guitar from the same era and in front of a fresco by 18th-century artist Paul Sandby.
Some visitors to the fashion gallery might also spot a black Victorian mourning dress that resembles the one Swift wears in the "Fortnight" music video, which can be seen later in the exhibition.
The dress Swift wore in the self-directed music video for "Willow" sits among Victorian paintings.
Installation shot of the "Evermore" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
On display in this room is the silk and velvet Zimmerman dress Swift wore in the video taken from her second lockdown album, "Evermore." It's presented in a glass case with bars reminiscent of the one Swift is caged in in the self-directed music video.
As Bailey noted, "Evermore" and its earlier sister album, "Folklore," saw Swift move away from her autobiographical style and into a realm where she created magical, wistful worlds inspired by fantasy, nature, and fiction.
"In this space where we've got Victorian genre paintings, so this idea of storytelling has a lovely synergy," she said, adding that fans should look out for Francis Danby's "Disappointed Love."
Storyboards illustrated by Vincent Lucido surround the dress.
Swift's "Folklore" cardigan can be found draped in front of a moss-covered piano in a gallery showcasing landscape paintings.
Installation shot of the "Folklore" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
Both an emblem of the "Folklore" era and the beginning of a fan tradition, the cardigan worn by Swift in the "Cardigan" music video can be found draped over a piano stool.
Bailey said it felt more appropriate to display it this way rather than on a mannequin, given the lyrics of the tender piano ballad, in which Swift uses the metaphor of the seasonal staple to discuss the heartbreak of being tossed aside for someone new.
Candles, fairy lights, and real moss cover the piano and surrounding area, which is set against a backdrop of works by the English landscape painter John Constable.
The ball gown from the "Bejeweled" music video from her "Midnights" album is displayed in the Prince Consort Gallery.
Installation shot of the "Midnights" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
Swift wore the ornate dress and necklace in the 2022 music video to play a Cinderella-like character opposite her evil stepmother (Laura Dern) and ugly stepsisters (Danielle, Este, and Alana Haim of the band Haim).
In a twist on the original tale, at the end of the video, Swift rejects Prince Charming (Jack Antonoff, her longtime songwriting collaborator) and instead chooses independence.
Alongside the music video ensemble is the sultry and sparkly Oscar de la Renta mini dress she wore to the 2022 VMAs.
Next, Swift's records, re-records, sell-out Eras Tour, and legacy are celebrated together.
Installation shot of the records and re-records chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
In the same long, atmospheric corridor, you'll also find various items that nod to her pop culture legacy: memorable magazine covers, physical copies of her "Taylor's Version" re-records, and Eras Tour friendship bracelets.
Other notable items to look out for include the blue floral Oscar de la Renta dress that Swift wore for "The Eras Tour" concert movie world premiere in Los Angeles and the Ulla Johnson shirt Swift wore on the cover of "Fearless (Taylor's Version)."
Looking upward, you'll also spot clips from Swift's music videos projected onto hanging white curtains.
Swift's current musical era, "The Tortured Poets Department," is celebrated in the museum's sculpture department.
Installation shot of the "The Tortured Poets Department" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
After the Prince Consort Gallery, visitors will pass the entrance to the museum's National Art Library, which is a fitting spot to stage "The Tortured Poets Department" stop.
On display at the bottom of the staircase is the late Victorian-style inspired ensemble Swift sports in the music video for the album's lead single, "Fortnight."
While work on the Songbook Trail was well underway when Swift released the album in April, Bailey was determined to incorporate the new album and said she knew as soon as she watched the music video that "this was a dress for the V&A."
Fortunately, Swift's archive team was more than happy to lend the outfit — which is made up of a UNTTLD top and Elena Velez skirt — allowing Bailey to include all 11 of Swift's musical eras.
It's displayed alongside an antique typewriter and a sculptural display of white pages.
As Bailey said, the severe-looking dress immediately evokes a sense of power, which is offset by an 18th-century marble statue, "Samson and the Philistines," by Vincenzo Foggini, next to the display.
The Songbook Trail ends with a glimpse into Swift's childhood and teenage years.
Installation shot of the "Childhood" chapter of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A.
At the end of the trail, you'll quite literally "step into the daylight," as Swift once sang, and reach the bright Medieval and Renaissance Simon Sainsbury gallery.
Here, visitors can find three screens displaying a combination of childhood photographs alongside clips from the music video for Swift's ode to her mother, "The Best Day."
The triptych of screens is displayed below a facade of an early 17th-century timber home that survived the Great Fire of London, known as Sir Paul Pindar's House — a deliberate decision given that this moment gives visitors an insight into Swift's domestic and private life before her meteoric rise.
Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail is on display across the V&A until 8 September 2024.
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