The exhibition, from London’s prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum, will be the first in a new Bendigo International Collections series launched by Premier John Brumby today.

“Securing the first worldwide showing of this exhibition is another major coup for the Bendigo Art Gallery,'' he said.

"It is a testament to Bendigo’s reputation as one of Australia’s most prominent regional art galleries and builds on its previous successes in hosting internationally acclaimed exhibitions.

“It means Victorians and visitors to our State will have the opportunity to see this fantastic exhibition before it is even shown in London."

Bendigo Art Gallery director Karen Quinlan said the gallery was proud to host Bendigo International Collections with wedding dresses designed by Christian Lacroix, Vivienne Westwood and Vera Wang among other fashion designers, all part of next year’s exhibition.

“The collection traces the development of the fashionable white wedding dress and its treatment by key fashion designers since the beginning of the nineteenth century,” she said.

The exhibition opens at the Bendigo Art Gallery, from August 2011 and will run until late 2011.