The 18Th Century Back in Fashion
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the palace of veRsailles presents the 18th century back in fashion guide to the exhibition and the grand trianon 8 july – 9 OCTOBer organised with the Grand trianon floor plan the 18th century back in fashion couturiers and fashion designers at the grand trianon The Grand Trianon and the Musée Galliera, the fashion museum of the City of Paris, present in a poetic confrontation costumes from the 18th century and masterpieces of haute couture and fashion design from the 20th and 21st centuries. The 18th century with its floating dresses, its voluminous skirts, flounces and furbelows, its silhouettes of minor marquis in three-piece suits and its immense hairstyles have never ceased to inspire the world of haute couture. The Enlightenment, the age of French Europe according to the famous saying, continues to fascinate. The political and cultural prestige of France was at its highest, when wit, lightness and elegance metamorphosed into a veritable art of fine living. Since 1800, the fashion world has continued to refer back to the 18th century for both women’s and men’s clothing as well as for its textiles and accessories. Like mirrors reflecting each other, the garments exhibited, from haute couture to ready-to-wear, propose Self-guided architecture tour a modern reading of that extravagant century. Each designer adapts the period to his/her sensibility. Some a self-guided architectural tour takes you through the grand quote the 18th century shapes almost literally, while trianon’s most notable places at the same time as the "18th century others deconstruct them, expand their dimensions and back in fashion" exhibition. (detail) © EPV, J-M Manaï, C Milet J-M Manaï, (detail) © EPV, interpret them in a riot of shimmering silks, embroidery and lace. The dresses of the queens and princesses of the Enlightenment dialogue down the years with these masterpieces of luxury and creativity. French court dress French 1 3. fashion in the 18th century in the late 1770's simplicity started replacing the pannier’s exaggerated shapes. adjusted dresses with when people think of 18th century women’s fashion, pleated or hitched-up skirts eclipsed the french court images of figures with wide hips and narrow busts gown. straight linen or cotton chiffon gowns, an immediately spring to mind. panniers – petticoats evocation of lingerie and its intimate character, stiffened with evenly-spaced whalebone stays – reshaped turned into morning or afternoon wear. the queen the lower part of the body. whalebone corsets turned of France dared to wear percale for her afternoon women’s busts into upside-down triangles coming to outfits. tuckers and ankle-length skirts comprised a point in the centre of the immense oval of the hips. negligées for noblewomen and elegant outfits for the women of humbler means. eighteenth-century prints and paintings show women 1. 4. with fan-shaped figures wearing fancy dresses or men wore "french" suits, which became so popular gowns. the "robe à la française", or sack-back dress, they were soon known as "european" suits, made up Captions 3. French court dress, a sort of large, open coat over a skirt with a floating, of coats, long-sleeved waistcoats and breeches, which skirt and stomacher, formed the basic combination for centuries to come. pleated back, made of endless yards of fabric, circa 1750-1760. captures the imagination. made of silk featuring wavy early in the century the coats had wide underskirted Polychrome figured floral patterns, worn by marquise de pompadour, coat-tails, the pannier’s masculine counterpart, before silk purl, gold and silver lamé. it represents the quintessence of the rococo spirit moving in the same direction as women’s clothing Galliera Collections. that characterised the middle of the century. but towards a more slender look. fronts were waisted and th became longer with straight collars. a riot of refined fantasies about 18 century women’s dress often 4. Duchess © RMN, mix the image of the "robe à la française" with that polychrome silk thread embroidery blossomed on these Gérard Blot. of the formal court gown, an unbelievable outfit coats but the sporty, simple english look’s influence 5. Pair of shoes, comprising a skirt over a huge pannier, a large top tempered that fancifulness in the 1780's. solid coats, circa 1730. military lapels and dark colours counterbalanced with a wide neckline and a train that could be several Leather embroidered th meters long with stays attached to the bottom. 2. 18 century exuberance and heralded the following with silver thread. century’s seriousness. Galliera Collections. paintings and prints show them overflowing with Captions flounces, ruffles and a profusion of lace, gauze, 1. Men’s court suit, Text based on Pascale Gorguet-Ballesteros' article trimming, spangles, silver strips and semi-precious circa 1750-1760. Shot taffeta, chain-stitch in the exhibition catalogue. stones. in the second half of the 18th century these embroidery, blue silk dresses provided fashion merchants, those designers thread, embroidery of ornament – madame alexandre and madame eloffe, patterns, wooden merchants of versailles, and especially Rose bertin, buttons covered with famous throughout europe, who took pride in embroidered taffeta. Galliera Collections. 5. having marie-antoinette, the queen of France, as see 18th century costumes a customer – with an opportunity to give their 2. Jacket and skirt (back), dialoguing with contemporary models imaginations free reign. circa 1785. Striped Gros th de Tours silk trimmed throughout the "18 century back with in fashion" exhibition. a ribbon. Galliera Collections. 2 3 Givenchy by Vivienne alexander Westwood Mcqueen evening gown "vive la Cocotte" Coll. F/w 1999-2000 ready-to-wear haute couture coll. F/w 1995-1996 Passage 26. Redingote in turquoise faille silk moiré with antique lace applications on pale grey No 85. historic model based on Boucher’s lace pants ornamented with crystal beads and portrait of Madame de Pompadour; a grey silk taffeta blouse. pink Duchesse satin and lace. Maison Givenchy Collection Vivienne Westwood Ltd Collection People have always been amazed English designer Vivienne Westwood is by the sophistication of 18th century often considered quirky and provocative, men’s clothes, which our contemporaries especially since her punk collections perceive as feminine. Alexander caused a scandal in the 1980's. In the wardrobes. Vivienne Westwood gave the McQueen, then Givenchy’s artistic 1990's she turned to the charms of the Age of Enlightenment fresh impetus. director, revisited the men’s wardrobe 18th century. Passionate about cut and of the Age of Enlightenment to dress technique, she has used ribbons and You can also see her models in the women in precious evening gowns. safety pins, become a master of Aides-de-Camp Room (1), Topographi- The lavishly ornamented model on subversive historical assemblages and cal Room (15) and Garden Room (17). display is a literal quotation of men’s brought frivolity and powdery colours French court suit but here McQueen back to the forefront after years when ironically appropriates it for women. Japanese and Belgian designers' intense Silk was the most commonly used black dominated magazine pages and material for court dresses. Here, thick faille replaces taffeta; satin or velvet and antique silver lace replaces silver thread. Like in the 18th century, aides-de-camp room (1) the empress’s boudoir (2) embroidery patterns adorn the front, collar and wrists. This all belonged to a group of secondary At first, the boudoir communicated with DON’T MISS rooms during the First Empire. Louis-Philippe the neighbouring room through the door The mahogany tapestry loom used it as an aides-de-camp room. on the right. Louis-Philippe had the door ornamented with gilt bronze (1810), left of the fireplace opened to connect it attributed to Alexandre MAIGRET, to the apartment he had built for himself comes from this room. in Louis XIV’s former kitchens. 4 5 th chanel BY 18 century Karl Lagerfeld fashion: the french court dress Foreground: Spring/Summer 2005 Haute Couture Collection, No. 40. Evening gown: washed white faille silk, blue satin ribbon, bow, round gilded The French court gown, also known in metal brooch ornamented by blue and white beads and white porcelain flowers on a bed of white pearls English as the "robe volante", "robe à la and mother-of-pearl; stiff tulle pleated skirt with a française" or sack-back gown, was a big, pannier effect. flowing coat with a wide, pleated back Background: Autumn/Winter 1992-1993 forming a short train. As the 18th century Haute Couture Collection, No. 97. Bridal progressed it became tighter in front, ensemble: jacket, gown, crinoline petticoat. Jacket: ivory wool tweed, pearly white cellophane hugging the contours of the bust stiffened lined with ivory satin, gilded chain. Dress: by a whalebone corset. The back had a satin-lined tweed; taffeta trimmed with a ribbon. double row of flat double pleats. The dress Maison Chanel Collection became known as the "robe à la française" throughout Europe, where it became Karl Lagerfeld, a collector and a popular from the 1730's. couturier, accumulated a comprehensive th collection of 18 century furniture and Wearing a French court dress was the sign objects, eventually selling them of a certain social status: putting one on to purchase designer pieces and required the help of a servant, who had to contemporary works echoing his crawl underneath it to adjust the back stylistic renewal. He finds with laces on the inside. Mademoiselle Chanel’s soft colours in the delicacy of the Age of The French court gown was nicknamed Enlightenment. His mischievous but the "Watteau dress" because the painter knowledgeable take on a French court Antonie Watteau (1684-1721) often gown, all in silk faille, is whimsically depicted his models wearing it.