Nicole Kidman puts wedding dress on display at exhibition

Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman put her wedding dress on display at the Powerhouse Museum on Thursday, as part of an exhibition showcasing the history of wedding fashion here.

The actress' Balenciaga gown, designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere for her 2006 wedding to Australian country-western singer Keith Urban, is just one of the myriad of dresses on display.

The custom-made ivory gown by the leading French designer, made of silk organza and lace with an empire line silhouette, stunned guests at Kidman's Sydney wedding.

The exhibition ‘Love Is Australian Wedding Fashion’ features more than 60 wedding outfits worn by notable Australians, including gowns by famous Australian and international couturiers.

At the opening, Powerhouse Museum curator Glynis Jones said, “The exhibition is not just about weddings, but about history as well.” "We are really fortunate to have Nicole's dress on loan," Jones said.

"Wedding dresses amaze on different levels, sometimes a dress has an amazing dramatic silhouette or beautiful embellishment. But with Nicole's dress, we see that it is very subtle and very beautiful, with all these historic references in the design and those subtleties are what make it so lovely."

"The concept of the exhibition is to explore Australian wedding styles and place it in the context of the economic, social and political changes that were happening at the time and the impact that it had on fashion and trends."

The exhibition not only features gowns worn by Australia's rich and famous, but timeless wedding dresses worn by women from the colonial era, right through to the now.

While the gowns may steal the show, men's fashion is also included in the exhibition, with designer suits from Tom Ford, Versace and Moschino all on display.