This was also a very interesting exhibition, at a museum that I have never been to before, the Musée de l'Immigration. It's housed in a pretty amazing building, located at Porte Dorée/Place Daumesnil, at the border of the inner suburbs and near the Paris zoo and a big park. The building was build in the 1930s for a colonial exhibition - hence the amazing wall frieze:
First it became a sort of colonial museum, and was later turned into the immigration museum. It has also always been home to the Paris Aquarium (unfortunately I didn't have time for that, but it's something I didn't know and maybe will revisit another time). It's also a pretty amazing palace on the inside.
The exhibition I saw there was Fashion Mix: http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/2014/6/fashion-mix. It was put together by the Palais Galliera, with garments from their collection. The theme was all about couturiers who came to Paris from other countries - starting with Worth in the 19th century right up to today's latest additions. It was very interesting, there were a lot who had "frenchified" their names and I admit I hadn't known either that they were not French at all, but of course there were also those who are well-known. Besides the garments, there were also photos, sketches, newspaper cuttings and huge big books that show the entries of their trademarks being lodged. Interesting stuff! There was quite a bit on Schiaparelli, and there were actually original samples of her trompe l'euil-sweaters - just parts where they tried out the front features with the mock bows, shawls etc. Amazing. And there were many more designs than I had known! Also, interestingly, the book that shows her trademark being lodged, on the opposite page of hers, clearly visible, was that of Marcel Rochas. Just a detail, but I noticed
. There were other interesting facts, as the exhibition not only showed their fashion and their influences, but also gave insight in personal stories of the couturiers. Paco Rabanne for example came to France as a refugee as a child, with his mother and his siblings, after his father had been killed in the Spanish Civil War. They settled in Brittany, he grew up there and later said he considered himself a Breton due to his upbringing there, but he actually never gave up his status as Spanish refugee up until the Franco regime in Spain ended. Also, there were lots of interesting newspaper cuttings from the 80s, when the Japanese couturiers came up with their unusual designs, and there were a lot of very critical (and to be honest, some of the headlines sounded even racist...) articles and headlines, something in the vain of "this is the end of fashion" and "the Japanese are taking over Haute Couture". It was a lot to read, not just to look at, but definitely very interesting.
First it became a sort of colonial museum, and was later turned into the immigration museum. It has also always been home to the Paris Aquarium (unfortunately I didn't have time for that, but it's something I didn't know and maybe will revisit another time). It's also a pretty amazing palace on the inside.
The exhibition I saw there was Fashion Mix: http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/2014/6/fashion-mix. It was put together by the Palais Galliera, with garments from their collection. The theme was all about couturiers who came to Paris from other countries - starting with Worth in the 19th century right up to today's latest additions. It was very interesting, there were a lot who had "frenchified" their names and I admit I hadn't known either that they were not French at all, but of course there were also those who are well-known. Besides the garments, there were also photos, sketches, newspaper cuttings and huge big books that show the entries of their trademarks being lodged. Interesting stuff! There was quite a bit on Schiaparelli, and there were actually original samples of her trompe l'euil-sweaters - just parts where they tried out the front features with the mock bows, shawls etc. Amazing. And there were many more designs than I had known! Also, interestingly, the book that shows her trademark being lodged, on the opposite page of hers, clearly visible, was that of Marcel Rochas. Just a detail, but I noticed
. There were other interesting facts, as the exhibition not only showed their fashion and their influences, but also gave insight in personal stories of the couturiers. Paco Rabanne for example came to France as a refugee as a child, with his mother and his siblings, after his father had been killed in the Spanish Civil War. They settled in Brittany, he grew up there and later said he considered himself a Breton due to his upbringing there, but he actually never gave up his status as Spanish refugee up until the Franco regime in Spain ended. Also, there were lots of interesting newspaper cuttings from the 80s, when the Japanese couturiers came up with their unusual designs, and there were a lot of very critical (and to be honest, some of the headlines sounded even racist...) articles and headlines, something in the vain of "this is the end of fashion" and "the Japanese are taking over Haute Couture". It was a lot to read, not just to look at, but definitely very interesting.