“Wes Anderson: The Archives” at the Design Museum

For access, Preferred members must pre-book using the code WESSOTHEBYS.

Hundreds of objects from the acclaimed filmmaker Wes Anderson go on view in an exhibition that charts his three-decade-long career. Puppets, storyboards, miniature models, sketches and costumes are among the vast trove of objects drawn from Anderson’s extensive archives, many of which will be shown for the first time. The collection is organized by film — ranging from his first feature, “Bottle Rocket” (1996), through his recent short, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (2024). Highlights include the Fendi fur coat worn by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2001’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” the icy pink model of the Grand Budapest Hotel from the 2014 film, and original puppets from the stop-motion “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009). Visitors will also be able to watch the entire 14-minute short version of “Bottle Rocket,” which was later remade as a full-length film — both starring longtime collaborator Owen Wilson. “Each Wes Anderson picture plunges the viewer into a world with its own codes, motifs, references, and with sumptuous and instantly recognisable sets and costumes,” explains Lucia Savi, Head of Curatorial and Interpretation at the Design Museum and the exhibition’s co-curator. “Every single object in a Wes Anderson film is very personal to him — they are not simply props, they are fully formed pieces of art and design that make his inventive worlds come to life.”

^{Wes Anderson. © Searchlight Pictures, Photograph by Charlie Gray}