Dolly Parton and her iconic wardrobe are getting some much-deserved love in Nashville.
On Friday, the country legend, 77, attended the official ribbon cutting of “Dolly Parton and the Makers: My Life in Rhinestones,” a new exhibit opening at Lipscomb University’s Beaman Library that will feature several of Parton’s memorable looks from throughout her decades-long career.
The “Jolene” singer attended the event with a dress perfect for spooky season — her black and silver gown featured small spikes, web-like mesh accents and other embellishments — ahead of the exhibit’s official opening date of Oct. 31. Parton was joined by Rebecca Seaver, her niece and archivist, as she raved about the exhibit ahead of its preview.
“I’m amazed at how much I’ve done, I really am,” Parton joked, per WTVF. “Someone says how does it feel to see all that? I think, ‘Phew, that’s a lot of living.'”
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The exhibit, which runs through Dec. 9, will not only highlight Parton. It will also shine a light on the other creative minds behind the 25 looks in the exhibit, as well as “the true magic that happens behind the seams,” according to Parton’s website. The fashion retrospective comes on the heels of her new book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, which was released on Oct. 17.
“We are thrilled to partner with Dolly Parton and those behind her iconic fashion to offer the community this exciting opportunity to have an up-close look at some of her favorite outfits and to learn more about these treasured looks,” Lipscomb University president Candice McQueen said in a release on Parton’s site.
“This unique fashion exhibition will also provide tremendous learning opportunities for our students as they discover more about the creative process and techniques and interact with the makers who have developed these fashions,” McQueen added.
During the Friday ribbon cutting ceremony, Parton also opened up about her favorite look on display — the dress she wore at the 1989 CMA Awards while performing “He’s Alive.”
“I love that song,” she told WTVF. “I remember that moment I sang that song. It meant so much to me.”
McQueen — who helped Parton officially snip the ribbon at the event — called the exhibit and ceremony a way to honor someone “who may be the most beloved person in the entertainment industry.”
“Her music has been the soundtrack of our lives, and her unique fashion sense has left an indelible mark on the world of style,” she told WTVF.
Earlier this month, Parton opened up to PEOPLE about her fashion inspirations over the years, and how the Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogs left an impact on her tastes. As she explained, the catalogs “spoke to me.”
“I was kind of influenced by those early days, with women I would see, like the loose women in our town, or just people I’d see in magazines and the Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog,” she said.
Parton added that she was “never one to care as much about what other people thought of me as I felt about what I thought of me, because I felt if I was comfortable in whatever I was wearing, then people would be comfortable around me.”
“Even though I’m sure people might have been uncomfortable thinking they would be uncomfortable looking like I did, but if I seemed comfortable in it, they were willing to accept it,” she said. “So I just kind of grew in the business kind of like that, being a little bit over the top about most things.”
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Parton’s new book is now available, and tickets to her fashion exhibit are available in advance of Tuesday’s opening for $25 each.
