So I was in Paris Saturday and Sunday, and managed to see 5 exhibitions that were about fashion or fashion-related - and I discovered some to me unknown corners of Paris too! I'll post my comments separately about each exhibition.
So first up - Jeanne Lanvin at the Palais Galliera: http://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/fr/expositions/jeanne-lanvin (photo gallery at bottom of the page). This was amazing! I would recommend though to buy the ticket online in advance. There was no line when I got there after noon, but when I left there was quite a line. There were a lot of people in the exhibition, but it never felt overcrowded - it felt more so in the 50s exhibition. With so many dresses not behind glass, I can understand that they don't want too many people in there.
It's really all only about Jeanne Lanvin. It's not chronologically set up, but follows themes and ideas that recur in her work, like black dresses, the color blue, the robes de style, ethnic influences and so on... I learned a great deal about a designer about whom I didn't know a lot beyond the robes de style, and the "Cyclone" evening gown (which was on display and which is spectacular!). There are also loads of photos and documents to be seen, and books with the gorgeous color drawings of the dresses. They also show her early works, like hats and children's dresses. What I liked - an early photo of her hat salon, which was decorated with 19th century fashion prints. Many dresses are not presented on mannequins, which is understandable - those delicate 20s fabrics, lavishly embroidered with (heavy) sequins, crystals etc. So they are laid out in piano-style flat cases, with a mirror at the bottom and a half-open "cover" that again has a mirror. Clever. And just to mention, those embroideries are simply amazing! Beautifully colored dresses that seem pristine, with the most amazing crystal, bead and sequin embroideries (really, really blingy!). I just loved it. And then the 30s dresses - so many of them look incredibly modern - I just had no idea at all! I also bought the book, which was well worth it, as it has lots of color photos, plus many of the drawings, photos and more - a really very concise work I think! It seems Madame left quite a bit "archive" literally in the attic of her fashion house, and they have pretty good records - and a lot of what looks like well-preserved dresses.
Here is a pretty good little snipped from French TV that shows what the exhibition looks like:
I've also shared some photos of dresses on my Facebook page (just scroll down a bit as I've been posting more since).
So first up - Jeanne Lanvin at the Palais Galliera: http://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/fr/expositions/jeanne-lanvin (photo gallery at bottom of the page). This was amazing! I would recommend though to buy the ticket online in advance. There was no line when I got there after noon, but when I left there was quite a line. There were a lot of people in the exhibition, but it never felt overcrowded - it felt more so in the 50s exhibition. With so many dresses not behind glass, I can understand that they don't want too many people in there.
It's really all only about Jeanne Lanvin. It's not chronologically set up, but follows themes and ideas that recur in her work, like black dresses, the color blue, the robes de style, ethnic influences and so on... I learned a great deal about a designer about whom I didn't know a lot beyond the robes de style, and the "Cyclone" evening gown (which was on display and which is spectacular!). There are also loads of photos and documents to be seen, and books with the gorgeous color drawings of the dresses. They also show her early works, like hats and children's dresses. What I liked - an early photo of her hat salon, which was decorated with 19th century fashion prints. Many dresses are not presented on mannequins, which is understandable - those delicate 20s fabrics, lavishly embroidered with (heavy) sequins, crystals etc. So they are laid out in piano-style flat cases, with a mirror at the bottom and a half-open "cover" that again has a mirror. Clever. And just to mention, those embroideries are simply amazing! Beautifully colored dresses that seem pristine, with the most amazing crystal, bead and sequin embroideries (really, really blingy!). I just loved it. And then the 30s dresses - so many of them look incredibly modern - I just had no idea at all! I also bought the book, which was well worth it, as it has lots of color photos, plus many of the drawings, photos and more - a really very concise work I think! It seems Madame left quite a bit "archive" literally in the attic of her fashion house, and they have pretty good records - and a lot of what looks like well-preserved dresses.
Here is a pretty good little snipped from French TV that shows what the exhibition looks like:
I've also shared some photos of dresses on my Facebook page (just scroll down a bit as I've been posting more since).
