The Titanic Set Sail in Style (in 1912) and Has Never Gone Out of Fashion

Presented by RMS Titanic, Inc.

Luxury is one of those know-it-when-you-see-it things, and it was what you saw on the Titanic in 1912. Voluminous hairstyles beneath enormously decorated hats, punchy patterns, buttery soft silks and spectacular jewels — the fashion icons of the day turned that ship’s Grand Staircase into a daily, buzzy runway show that cemented luxury brands — Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Macy’s and others — into what they are today.

THE TITANIC RUNWAY SHOW & The Style Icons Who Created a Flurry

THE AGE OF OPULENCE DOROTHY GIBSON

One month after the Titanic sank, silent screen starlet and survivor Dorothy Gibson starred in Saved from the Titanic, wearing the same dress, sweater, and coat that she wore that night.

CHARLOTTE WARDLE CARDEZA

The embodiment of extravagance, Charlotte Wardle Cardeza traveled with 14 trunks — many by Louis Vuitton — that were filled with Tiffany jewelry, fashions from Lord & Taylor and Saks & Co., and much more.

ISIDOR and IDA STRAUS

First-class passengers and co-owners of Macy’s department store, Isidor and Ida Straus stood on the deck, holding hands, while she refused to step into the lifeboat. They perished together and are memorialized on a plaque inside Macy’s flagship New York City location.

LUCY, LADY DUFF-GORDON

An entrepreneur of her time, her successful Maison Lucile (opened in London 1894) and Lucile Ltd.’s (1910), sold shocking yet elegant lingerie and dress designs that revolutionized Edwardian fashion. She, along with her husband, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, survived the Titanic disaster.

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BLUE SAPPHIRE & DIAMONDS

An 18k gold & platinum natural blue sapphire and diamond ring with pear-shaped petals, was recovered by RMS Titanic, Inc. in 1987.

GOLD & FINIALS

An 18k yellow gold handmade coin purse with an Egyptian motif, lotus pyramid finials, and a mummy head clasp was recovered by RMS Titanic, Inc. in 2000.