The Kate Dress will remain at the Ulster Museum until 13 September as part of the Ashes to Fashion exhibition, which has been going on since February.

I would never have expected the closing date to feel so important. When a museum buys a piece, it becomes part of its collection for good. It is not on loan or in the museum for a season. The Kate Dress will remain at the Ulster Museum as part of its permanent collection, alongside pieces by Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and other Irish and international designers, in a room created after a fire destroyed nearly everything that had been there before.

Why do I recommend the exhibition? Ashes to Fashion was created to rebuild a collection that was almost completely lost fifty years ago. The museum decided to add something new to that history, not just restore what was lost. Being part of it has been an honour. 

If you are near Belfast in the next week, I really recommend visiting. Not just for the dress. The whole exhibition is fascinating. There is something special about seeing all those pieces together while you still have the chance.

After 13 September, the Kate Dress will stay in Belfast as part of the museum's collection.