Event charts fashion icon's life

Muir's designs were known for the cut and colour which flattered any figure

A major exhibition charting the life of one of Britain's most prominent fashion icons has opened in Edinburgh.

Jean Muir, who died from breast cancer in 1995 at the age of 66, kept all her design sketches and dresses from as far back as the 1960s.

She supported National Museums Scotland and was a member of the Museum of Scotland's fundraising committee.

Her widower Harry Leuckert donated the Jean Muir archive to National Museums Scotland in 2005.

Of the 18,000 items in the collection, 30 dresses and hundreds of sketches, pattern pieces, fabric samples and photographs have gone on display.

Joanna Lumley

The Jean Muir: A Fashion Icon exhibition is free and runs until Sunday 15 March.

Muir had a loyal fan base from Joanna Lumley who started out as her house model to younger fans like Tilda Swinton and Kate Moss.

She proudly boasted of her Scottish roots as her grandfather was Scottish, and she used local firms for her knitwear.

The exhibition curator, Kristina Stankovski, said: "We are thrilled to bring together this select exhibition from the unrivalled Jean Muir collection we hold here at National Museums Scotland.

"Through Jean Muir: A Fashion Icon, visitors will gain an insight into the ethos, craft and legacy of one of Britain's most celebrated fashion designers.

"Photographs of leading models such as Joanna Lumley wearing Jean Muir designs also feature in the display."