New Winehouse Exhibit Kicks off GRAMMY Week at the GRAMMY Museum


The Academy’s Downtown Los Angeles GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live created an exhibit dedicated to Amy Winehouse. (Cat Baklarz/Daily Trojan)

Ahead of this weekend’s Grammy awards, the Academy’s Downtown Los Angeles GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live is now featuring exclusive pieces of Amy Winehouse’s wardrobe, along with other memorabilia, in celebration of the star’s legacy. The museum kicked off its GRAMMY Week celebration with a panel and launch party of “Beyond Black: The Style of Amy Winehouse.” 

Winehouse’s friend Catriona Gourlay and London-based costume designer Naomi Parry spoke on the panel, which was moderated by music journalist Eve Barlow. The event was the first time Gourlay spoke publicly about her friendship with the artist.

During the panel discussion, Parry spoke on how Winehouse’s vintage-leaning style reflected her humble attitude and ability to connect with those around her.

“She wasn’t about how expensive something was,” Parry said. “And she wasn’t afraid to wear the same dress twice, three times, even four times.” 

Parry, whose career began at 19 years old when she met Winehouse, designed a clothing line for the artist’s canceled 2011 tour, which is featured in the exhibit along with her other pieces. 

GRAMMY Museum Chief Operating Officer Rita George said the museum has been planning the exhibit for over two years and that the final arrangements fell into place in five weeks over the winter holidays.

“A lot of times, when it is an exhibit about a star who’s deceased, you have to earn the trust of their family,” George said. “Because now we’re talking about a legacy. We’re talking about somebody who can’t stand up and talk for themselves.” 

Panelists Gourlay and Parry also discussed how their relationships were affected by her rising fame. Gourlay said that the two were forced to fend off  paparazzi on the street on a regular basis.

“Because of everything that was going on with her in terms of press, people would go to say not very nice things [to her] down the street to try and get a reaction so [someone] could get a picture so that they could sell up to the photo agency for a lot of money,” Gourlay said. “And some of the stuff that people used to say to the street was so savage and horrible to watch. And that did affect our friendship because I think if anything it just made me so protective of her because I didn’t want her to have to deal with that on a daily basis.”

The “Beyond Black” panel also explored the emotional highs Gourlay and Parry shared with Winehouse during her rising music career. When asked about Parry’s  favorite piece in the collection, she said that all of the items in the display hall reminded her of how she felt working for her friend.

“It’s really difficult to pick one piece out because most of the stuff in there I’ve worked with. So each thing has got a memory for me at that particular time,” Parry said. “The yellow Preen dress is quite a big one because it is one of the first jobs I did with her. It was before it went mental and she became, because I mean after that she was just suddenly a superstar … That was kind of moment I really felt like she came up, she’s like, ‘This is me now.’ Like, ‘This is Back to Black and this is how I dress now’.”

Once the Los Angeles exhibit ends, the collection will go to London, Chile and Ireland. Then the items will be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity that works to prevent alcohol and drug misuse among youth.

George hopes that students will visit the installation because they can help carry the memory of Winehouse.

“[We] want to educate and hopefully inspire visitors for every age group,” George said. “I think you realize that you know more of her music or relate to her influences more than you might think. And I think it’s finding there’s something relatable about Amy.”