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David Bowie's archive to be made public at V&A East, Storehouse

Two suits designed by Freddie Burretti (1972) for the Ziggy Stardust tour are displayed in front of a video showing pop star David Bowie singing at the BBC show Top of the Pops (July 1972) as part of the exhibition
  • Written byLondon College of Fashion
  • Published date 24 February 2023
Two suits designed by Freddie Burretti (1972) for the Ziggy Stardust tour are displayed in front of a video showing pop star David Bowie singing at the BBC show Top of the Pops (July 1972) as part of the exhibition
Two suits designed by Freddie Burretti (1972) for the Ziggy Stardust tour are displayed in front of a video showing pop star David Bowie singing at the BBC show Top of the Pops (July 1972) as part of the exhibition "David Bowie Is" at the Paris Philharmonic Hall "Philharmonie de Paris" February 27, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo.

On Thursday 23 February, London College of Fashion, UAL's East Bank partner and neighbour, the V&A announced that the archive of legend David has been donated to their archives by the late rock artist's estate – revealing the creative processes of one of the most pioneering and influential figures in the history of live and recorded music, film, fashion and beyond. From 2025, the archive will be made available to the public, from fans to students and researchers, through the creation of The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts at V&A East Storehouse, in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Encompassing more than 80,000 items, the archive traces Bowie’s creative processes as a musical innovator, cultural icon, and advocate for self-expression and reinvention from his early career in the 1960s to his death in 2016.

Spanning Bowie’s career, the archive features handwritten lyrics, letters, sheet music, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs, Bowie’s own instruments, album artwork and awards. It also includes more intimate writings, thought processes and unrealised projects, the majority of which have never been seen in public before.

L-R: Striped bodysuit for the Aladdin Sane tour in 1973, designed by Kansai Yamamoto; Quilted two-piece suit designed by Freddie Burretti for the Ziggy Stardust tour, 1972. Pics: Masayoshi Sukita courtesy of Sukita, and David Bowie Archive
L-R: Striped bodysuit for the Aladdin Sane tour in 1973, designed by Kansai Yamamoto; Quilted two-piece suit designed by Freddie Burretti for the Ziggy Stardust tour, 1972. Pics: Masayoshi Sukita courtesy of Sukita, and David Bowie Archive.
David Bowie was one of the greatest musicians and performers of all time. The V&A is thrilled to become custodians of his incredible archive, and to be able to open it up for the public. Bowie’s radical innovations across music, theatre, film, fashion, and style – from Berlin to Tokyo to London – continue to influence design and visual culture and inspire creatives from Janelle Monáe to Lady Gaga to Tilda Swinton and Raf Simons. Our new collections centre, V&A East Storehouse, is the ideal place to put Bowie’s work in dialogue with the V&A’s collection spanning 5,000 years of art, design, and performance. My deepest thanks go to the David Bowie Estate, Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group for helping make this a reality and for providing a new sourcebook for the Bowies of tomorrow.

— Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A
Internal render view of the central public collection hall in new V&A East Storehouse at Here East, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. © Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2018.
Internal render view of the central public collection hall in new V&A East Storehouse at Here East, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. © Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2018.

About V&A East Storehouse

Opening at Here East in 2024, a short walk away from the V&A East Museum on East Bank adjacent to LCF's new building, V&A East Storehouse offers a new immersive experience, taking visitors behind the scenes and providing unprecedented public access to V&A collections. The Storehouse's programme will explore why objects are collected, how they are cared for, conserved and displayed and will reveal the latest research emerging from the collections. Further spaces within the centre will host pop-up displays, workshops, performances and screenings alongside live encounters with the museum's work – from conservation and research to exhibition preparation. This new model builds on the continued success of The Clothworkers' Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion, which will be relocated to the new centre from Blythe House in west London, where a significant proportion of the collection is currently stored.

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