in fashion

the palace of veRsailles presents
the 18 th century
back in fashion
guide to the exhibition
and the grand trianon
8 july – 9 OCTOBer
organised with the

Grand trianon floor plan
the 18 th 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 18 th century and
masterpieces of haute couture and fashion design from
the 20 th and 21 st centuries.
Self-guided architecture tour
a self-guided architectural tour takes you through the grand
trianon’s most notable places at the same time as the "18 th century
back in fashion" exhibition.
French court dress (detail) © EPV, J-M Manaï, C Milet
The 18 th 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 18 th 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
a modern reading of that extravagant century. Each
designer adapts the period to his/her sensibility. Some
quote the 18 th century shapes almost literally, while
others deconstruct them, expand their dimensions and
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.
1

3.
fashion in the 18 th century
when people think of 18 th century women’s fashion,
images of figures with wide hips and narrow busts
immediately spring to mind. panniers – petticoats
stiffened with evenly-spaced whalebone stays – reshaped
the lower part of the body. whalebone corsets turned
women’s busts into upside-down triangles coming to
a point in the centre of the immense oval of the hips.
eighteenth-century prints and paintings show women
with fan-shaped figures wearing fancy dresses or
gowns. the "robe à la française", or sack-back dress,
a sort of large, open coat over a skirt with a floating,
pleated back, made of endless yards of fabric,
captures the imagination. made of silk featuring wavy
floral patterns, worn by marquise de pompadour,
it represents the quintessence of the rococo spirit
that characterised the middle of the century. but
fantasies about 18 th century women’s dress often
mix the image of the "robe à la française" with that
of the formal court gown, an unbelievable outfit
comprising a skirt over a huge pannier, a large top
with a wide neckline and a train that could be several
meters long with stays attached to the bottom.
paintings and prints show them overflowing with
flounces, ruffles and a profusion of lace, gauze,
trimming, spangles, silver strips and semi-precious
stones. in the second half of the 18 th century these
dresses provided fashion merchants, those designers
of ornament – madame alexandre and madame eloffe,
merchants of versailles, and especially Rose bertin,
famous throughout europe, who took pride in
having marie-antoinette, the queen of France, as
a customer – with an opportunity to give their
imaginations free reign.
2
1.
2.
Captions
1. Men’s court suit,
circa 1750-1760.
Shot taffeta, chain-stitch
embroidery, blue silk
thread, embroidery
patterns, wooden
buttons covered with
embroidered taffeta.
Galliera Collections.
2. Jacket and skirt (back),
circa 1785. Striped Gros
de Tours silk trimmed
with
a ribbon.
Galliera Collections.
in the late 1770's simplicity started replacing the
pannier’s exaggerated shapes. adjusted dresses with
pleated or hitched-up skirts eclipsed the french court
gown. straight linen or cotton chiffon gowns, an
evocation of lingerie and its intimate character,
turned into morning or afternoon wear. the queen
of France dared to wear percale for her afternoon
outfits. tuckers and ankle-length skirts comprised
negligées for noblewomen and elegant outfits for the
women of humbler means.
men wore "french" suits, which became so popular
they were soon known as "european" suits, made up
of coats, long-sleeved waistcoats and breeches, which
formed the basic combination for centuries to come.
early in the century the coats had wide underskirted
coat-tails, the pannier’s masculine counterpart, before
moving in the same direction as women’s clothing
towards a more slender look. fronts were waisted and
became longer with straight collars. a riot of refined
polychrome silk thread embroidery blossomed on these
coats but the sporty, simple english look’s influence
tempered that fancifulness in the 1780's. solid coats,
military lapels and dark colours counterbalanced
18 th century exuberance and heralded the following
century’s seriousness.
Text based on Pascale Gorguet-Ballesteros' article
in the exhibition catalogue.
Captions
3. French court dress,
skirt and stomacher,
circa 1750-1760.
Polychrome figured
silk purl, gold and
silver lamé.
Galliera Collections.
4. Duchess © RMN,
Gérard Blot.
see 18 th century costumes
dialoguing with contemporary models
throughout the "18 th century back
in fashion" exhibition.
5. Pair of shoes,
circa 1730.
Leather embroidered
with silver thread.
Galliera Collections.
3
5.
4.

Givenchy by
alexander
Mcqueen
Vivienne
Westwood
F/w 1999-2000
haute couture coll.
Passage 26. Redingote in turquoise faille silk
moiré with antique lace applications on pale grey
lace pants ornamented with crystal beads and
a grey silk taffeta blouse.
Maison Givenchy Collection
People have always been amazed
by the sophistication of 18 th century
men’s clothes, which our contemporaries
perceive as feminine. Alexander
McQueen, then Givenchy’s artistic
director, revisited the men’s wardrobe
of the Age of Enlightenment to dress
women in precious evening gowns.
The lavishly ornamented model on
display is a literal quotation of men’s
French court suit but here McQueen
ironically appropriates it for women.
Silk was the most commonly used
material for court dresses. Here, thick
faille replaces taffeta; satin or velvet
and antique silver lace replaces silver
thread. Like in the 18 th century,
embroidery patterns adorn the front,
collar and wrists.
4
aides-de-camp room (1)
This all belonged to a group of secondary
rooms during the First Empire. Louis-Philippe
used it as an aides-de-camp room.
evening gown
"vive la Cocotte" Coll.
ready-to-wear
F/w 1995-1996
No 85. historic model based on Boucher’s
portrait of Madame de Pompadour;
pink Duchesse satin and lace.
Vivienne Westwood Ltd Collection
English designer Vivienne Westwood is
often considered quirky and provocative,
especially since her punk collections
caused a scandal in the 1980's. In the
1990's she turned to the charms of the
18 th century. Passionate about cut and
technique, she has used ribbons and
safety pins, become a master of
subversive historical assemblages and
brought frivolity and powdery colours
back to the forefront after years when
Japanese and Belgian designers' intense
black dominated magazine pages and
the empress’s boudoir (2)
At first, the boudoir communicated with
the neighbouring room through the door
on the right. Louis-Philippe had the door
left of the fireplace opened to connect it
to the apartment he had built for himself
in Louis XIV’s former kitchens.
wardrobes. Vivienne Westwood gave the
Age of Enlightenment fresh impetus.
You can also see her models in the
Aides-de-Camp Room (1), Topographical
Room (15) and Garden Room (17).
DON’T MISS
The mahogany tapestry loom
ornamented with gilt bronze (1810),
attributed to Alexandre MAIGRET,
comes from this room.
5

chanel BY
Karl Lagerfeld
18 th century
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
metal brooch ornamented by blue and white beads
and white porcelain flowers on a bed of white pearls
and mother-of-pearl; stiff tulle pleated skirt with a
pannier effect.
Background: Autumn/Winter 1992-1993
Haute Couture Collection, No. 97. Bridal
ensemble: jacket, gown, crinoline petticoat.
Jacket: ivory wool tweed, pearly white cellophane
lined with ivory satin, gilded chain. Dress:
satin-lined tweed; taffeta trimmed with a ribbon.
Maison Chanel Collection
Karl Lagerfeld, a collector and a
couturier, accumulated a comprehensive
collection of 18 th century furniture and
objects, eventually selling them
to purchase designer pieces and
contemporary works echoing his
stylistic renewal. He finds
Mademoiselle Chanel’s soft colours
in the delicacy of the Age of
Enlightenment. His mischievous but
knowledgeable take on a French court
gown, all in silk faille, is whimsically
punctuated under the breasts with
a blue satin ribbon like the light cotton
chiffon dresses at the end of the
century. His Watteau collection’s
unexpected poetry contrasts with
the Chanel label’s strict rigour.
Room of mirrors (3)
Louis XIV’s former Great Study, where the king
met with his privy council. From that period the
room has kept its cornice and mirrors embedded
in panelling carved with flower garlands.
DON’T MISS
Set of mahogany tables delivered to Empress
Marie-Louise in 1810: needlework table,
"letterbox" table, game table, tidy table and
drawing table.
The French court gown, also known in
English as the "robe volante", "robe à la
française" or sack-back gown, was a big,
flowing coat with a wide, pleated back
forming a short train. As the 18 th century
progressed it became tighter in front,
hugging the contours of the bust stiffened
by a whalebone corset. The back had a
double row of flat double pleats. The dress
became known as the "robe à la française"
throughout Europe, where it became
popular from the 1730's.
Wearing a French court dress was the sign
of a certain social status: putting one on
required the help of a servant, who had to
crawl underneath it to adjust the back
with laces on the inside.
The French court gown was nicknamed
the "Watteau dress" because the painter
Antonie Watteau (1684-1721) often
depicted his models wearing it.
6
7

Balenciaga
by Nicolas
Ghesquière
women’s ensemble
ready-to-wear coll.
s/s 2006
Azzedine Alaïa
dress
ready-to-wear Coll.
s/s 1992
Lace-up bustier dress with white English
embroidery on petticoat
Azzedine Alaïa Archives Collection
Flesh-coloured embroidered organza jacket, flowery
ecru lace jacket, off-white organza satin jacket, ecru
lace corset and undergarments, embroidered satin
crêpe trousers.
Maison Balenciaga Collection
Cristòbal Balenciaga often quoted
Goya’s 18 th century: his use of lace –
usually black – and pink satin ribbons
recalls portraits of the Duchess of Alba.
Nicolas Ghesquière pays tribute to that
legacy by turning values and colour
codes upside-down: men’s clothing
where ruffly eggshell and cream lace is
omnipresent and transparency stresses
the martial look of young women
dressed as men.
The waistcoats fit tightly around the
bust. The underskirted coat-tails take
the form of the coat; the wrists adopt
the flounced pagoda sleeves' shape
characteristic of mid-18 th century
French court dresses; cropped trousers
replace breeches.
Azzedine Alaïa’s sensuous fashions
stress the womanly curves that inspire
him. All the designer keeps of the
libertine spirit in his streamlined
version of the 18 th century are tight
waists and full bosoms combined
with the false rigour of an army jacket
or the freshness of English embroidery
too prim and proper to really be
believable. This dress is squeezed,
laced-up top evokes whalebone
corsets, while the wide hips bring
panniers to mind. The waisted jacket
featuring big pockets with flaps recalls
a men’s coat.
White cotton and English embroidery
recall the "negligée" women wore,
which became walking or afternoon
dress by the late 18 th century.
the empress’s bedchamber (4)
The Empress’s Bedchamber still has the
décor of Louis XIV’s bedchamber, which it
had formerly been: Corinthian columns
dividing the room and panelling admirably
carved into a mosaic. During the Empire it was
divided to form a smaller bedroom and
a sitting room used by Empress Marie-Louise,
who commissioned the furniture you see today.
DON’T MISS
The bed, which was Napoleon’s at the
Tuileries Palace and where his successor
Louis XVIII, the brother of Louis XVI,
died in 1825.
8
9

the 1950's AND
Pierre Balmain
Thierry
Mugler
Jacques
Doucet
Comme des
garçons
"Antonia" evening
gown
haute couture Coll.
s/s 1954
Orlon satin embroidered with a panel of gold
scrolls, pearly beads, red chiffon rose appliqué
patterns, embroidered leaves and two petticoats:
horse-hair and double ottoman.
Galliera Collections
The Age of Enlightenment had a
strong influence on Pierre Balmain.
The New Look Christian Dior
launched in 1947 featured narrow
waists and a voluminous skirts
supported by thick petticoats; elegant
women wore girdles and corsets that
reshaped their bodies. For evening
wear, lavish fabrics and embroidery
preciously dressed 20 th century figures
echoing Age of Enlightenment fashion.
Chapel room (5)
Originally built as a chapel, this room
became an antechamber in 1691 but many
of the original features were kept.
The back door opens onto an altar, the
"Infante" ball gown
ready-to-wear coll.
F/w 1992-1993
Barathea and pleated black tulle.
Maison Thierry Mugler Collection
Thierry Mugler’s glamorous world
swings back and forth between 1950's
Hollywood and Paris. The designer
goes to great demonstrative lengths to
intensify the feminine shapes
associated with dominating women:
ostentation, the theatrical display of
the female body and cruelty, notions
particular to the 18 th century of
Dangerous Liaisons. His collections
feature outfits the Marquise de
Merteuil would have loved. Thierry
Mugler’s collections offer gowns with
volumes recalling the panniers of
formal Court dress.
cornice decoration has bunches of grapes and
ears of wheat evoking the Eucharistic wine and
bread and paintings depict the Evangelists
Saint Mark and Saint Luke.
dress, circa 1898-1900
Figured black satin, black chantilly bobbin lace,
black silk chiffon; gold-printed ivory label:
"DOUCET/21 RUE DE LA PAIX/PARIS"
Galliera Collections
Jacques Doucet (1853-1929) was born
into a family that had been making and
selling clothes since 1816. From 1898
to 1927 he headed one of the biggest
couture houses in Paris. Doucet
dressed the early 20 th century’s most
notable women but did not consider
himself as a designer and never joined
the Chambre syndicale de la couture.
In 1875 he began amassing a large
collection of 18 th century French
furniture and artworks that had a
lasting influence on his own designs.
In 1912 he sold it in order to focus on
contemporary art.
the lord’s room (6)
The former Lord’s room became the King’s
and later the Empress’s First Antechamber.
It still has its 1691-1692 décor, including the
military trophy on the mantelpiece.
Ready-to-wear coll.
a/w 2010-2011
Coat and pants ensemble: cotton cloth and mixed
black fibres, shoulder pads, hips and sleeves
fastened to the inside by zips; shaped trousers,
black chenille braiding on the sides.
Galliera Collections
From the Middle Ages to the Age of the
Enlightenment, extensions, reductions
and other inventions attired and
transformed the body in the West.
Rei Kawakubo explores the relationship
between that historical and contemporary
fashion, from the removable – and
moveable – bum rolls in his famous
Spring/Summer 1997 collection, where
the outfits emphasized the figure, to his
Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 collection,
from which the outfit on display is taken.
With their zippered hoops and
removable quilting, his clothes evoke
a late 18 th century "Amazon" director
Tim Burton would have dreamed up.
The black coat is an improbable
combination of a woman’s pannier and
the buttoned-up lapels of certain
military coats from the second half
of the 18 th century.
10 11

the grand
trianon
the cotelle
gallery (16)
In 1687 Jules Hardouin-Mansart built
the Grand Trianon on the site of the
"Porcelain Trianon", which Louis XIV
had had built in 1670 to flee the stiff
formality Court etiquette and spend
time in private with his mistress,
Madame de Montespan. The king was
especially fond of the Trianon, where
he also came for short stays with his
family: the Grand Dauphin, Duchess
of Burgundy and Madame de
Maintenon. He successively occupied
three apartments, in the right wing
(1688-1691), the left wing (1691-1703)
and again in the right wing (1703-
1715). The rooms still have most of
their 17 th century wall decoration:
finely carved panelling painted white,
with no gilding.
Marie Leszczinska also liked the
Grand Trianon, where she lived in the
summer, but Marie-Antoinette
preferred the Petit Trianon, offered to
her by Louis XVI. All of the Grand
Trianon’s furniture was sold during
the French Revolution. Napoleon I
restored and remodelled the palace,
where he stayed many times with his
wife, Empress Marie-Louise. Louis-
Philippe went there with his family.
General de Gaulle brought the Grand
Trianon back to life in 1962-1965,
when he had major work done to turn
the north wing, called "Trianon-sousbois",
into apartments for the French
president and foreign heads of State
on official visits.
the peristyle (7)
The innovative "loggia" piercing
the Grand Trianon’s centre gives the
building its transparency and connects
the courtyard and gardens. French
doors on the courtyard side originally
closed this gallery, wrongly called a
peristyle ever since Louis XIV had it
built. A few years later they were
eliminated to emphasize the building’s
transparency. In 1810 Napoleon had
the peristyle glazed to facilitate
communication between his apartment
and that of the Empress.
This gallery, which shielded the upper
parterre’s flowers from cold weather,
is named after the artist Jean Cotelle,
who painted the views of the gardens
of Versailles and Trianon as they
looked in Louis XIV’s day: they are
precious documents because most
of the groves they depict have
disappeared or been changed.
the trianon
gardens
Trianon is the "Palais de Flore":
every room has a view of the gardens,
which are entirely devoted to flowers
here. Many varieties were chosen
for their colours and smells.
"The tuberoses make us flee Trianon
every evening," Madame de
Maintenon wrote in a letter on
8 August 1689. "The smell is so
strong it makes men and women
alike feel ill." All the décor, paintings
and woodwork sculptures are based
on the gardens.
the round
room (8)
This vestibule gave access to the first
apartment, which Louis XIV occupied
just three years, from 1688 to 1691.
The Corinthian columns, marble
paving and paintings date from that
period. A wooden drum to the right
of the fireplace conceals the staircase
musicians climbed to reach the gallery
in the room next door, where the
king’s souper took place.
12
13

Boué Sœurs
"romance" gown,
embroidery from the
lesage house,
winter 1925-1926
Machine-made black Chantilly lace, polychrome
taffeta and chiffon flowers, green and ochre wool
thread; modern backing; white label with orange
weave.
Galliera Collections
In 1899 Sylvie and Jeanne Boué opened
a fashion house that remained active
until 1935. The sisters' quest for
modernity did not stop them from
drawing inspiration from earlier
periods, in particular that of Louis XV.
The "period dress" they invented at the
same time as Jeanne Lanvin took up
certain 18 th -century codes: pannier,
lace and fabric flowers.
maison martin
margiela
women’s ensemble
s/s 1993 Coll.
Re-use of a waistcoat from a theatre costume:
black velvet, black cotton cloth lining, braiding
applications of gilded metallic threads;
long straight skirt in striped black and white
chiné wool.
Galliera Collections
Martin Margiela’s 1991 and 1993
Spring/Summer collections offer
a contemporary take on the
18 th century by re-employing
a 1950's dress he found at the flea
market and old stage costumes.
The designer, using their patina
and worn-out look as raw materials,
intelligently deconstructed the
pieces and transformed them
from stage costumes into clothes.
fashion
accessoires
In the 18 th century accessories, like clothes, fulfilled two
purposes: they were vectors of fashion and conspicuous
displays of luxury. Jewels and jewellery were inseparable
from women’s formal court dress.
The panoply of accessories was much richer than it is today:
removable lace sleeves, fans, gloves, mittens, purses, clutch
bags and precious shoes, often made with embroidered silk,
rounded out women’s outfits. In the 1770's-1780's powdered
hair was topped by hats, poufs or big bonnets ornamented
with feathers, gauze, birds and other fanciful decoration
abundantly illustrated in the nascent fashion press.
Eighteenth-century accessories have not inspired
contemporary designers as much as clothes, but today’s
beads, bows and brilliants reflect a certain amount
of continuity, as the contemporary items in these showcases
alongside 18 th century objects suggest.
the emperor’s family room (9)
At first this room housed a theatre that
was replaced by Louis XIV’s last
apartment, which Louis XV transformed
into reception rooms in 1750. Napoleon
turned them into a room for meetings of the
imperial family and important guests.
The furniture dates from that period.
DON’T MISS
The purple breccia fireplace dating from
Louis XV.
14
15

Maison
Christian Dior
"doutzen kroes" dress
haute couture coll.
F/W 2007-2008
Shot pink silk taffeta dress based on Fragonard,
veiled with candy pink tulle
Maison Christian Dior Archives Collection
Since 1997 Dior’s couturier shows,
lavish spectacles in their own right,
have blurred the traditional
boundaries between fashion and
stage costumes, offering mirror
images of 18 th century styles –
outfits of fairies and princesses
that would make the queens and
favourites in our history books
turn green with envy.
You can also see Maison Dior
models in the Chapel Room (5)
and the Malachite Room (13).
queen of the belgians'
bedchamber (10)
This room, formerly the bedchamber
and drawing room of Louis XIV’s third
apartment, was used as a dining room
under Louis XV and the First Empire.
16
Louis-Philippe turned it into reception
rooms and an apartment for his son-inlaw
and his daughter, the queen of the
Belgians.
DON’T MISS
The gilded wooden bed JACOB-
DESMALTER delivered in 1809 for
Empress Josephine at the Tuileries
Palace. Enlarged and modified for this
room in 1845.
17

Yohji
yamamoto
rochas by
olivier theyskens
men’s ensemble,
ready-to-wear,
s/s 2011
4 pieces: 1 shirt + 1 waistcoat + 1 pair of
breeches + 1 jabot; grey and white.
Yohji Yamamoto Archives Collection.
Yohji Yamamoto based his Spring/
Summer 2011 menswear fashion
show entirely on the late 18 th century
men’s wardrobe. The rigour and
simplicity of bewigged men’s outfits
recall the 1780's, when Anglomania,
synonymous with comfort and
naturalness, reigned supreme.
In contrast, black and white
houndstooth wool and sensuous
beige leather turn pannier dresses
into half-tamed contemporary
city wear.
You can also see a Yohji Yamamoto
model in the Lord’s Room (6).
women’s ensemble
A/w 2006
Jacket and skirt made for the release of Sofia
Coppola’s film Marie-Antoinette; grey tulle,
fake hair, crinoline.
Galliera Collections
When Olivier Theyskens was art
director at Rochas he offered a
recomposed version of an 18 th century
woman’s outfit, turning the dress into
a short jacket and a skirt. The collared
jacket takes the form of the redingote
dress, a masculine version of the "robe
à l’anglaise"; the skirt rests on an early
18 th century bell-shaped pannier. The
flounces at the wrists evoke the lace that
was sewn onto court dresses' sleeves.
American actress Kirsten Dunst wore
this dress during a Vogue photo shoot.
music room (11)
Former antechamber of Louis XIV’s
apartment, where the king’s souper
took place. Napoleon turned it into the
Officers' Room and Louis-Philippe into
the Billiard Room.
The panelling is among the palace’s oldest.
Above the doors, notice the shutters of the
gallery where musicians played during the
meal.
DON’T MISS
The chairs covered in Beauvais upholstery
made for this room.
18 19

Jean Paul
Gaultier
malachite
room (13)
women’s ensemble
haute couture
s/s 1998, "les marquis
touaregs" coll.
Pannier jacket, lamé, tulle, flounces, ruches, bows.
Jean Paul Gaultier Maison Collection
Jean Paul Gaultier takes delight
in mixing up men’s and women’s
wardrobes. In his spring/summer
1994 collection the iconoclastic
couturier put men’s French denim
jackets on women. The spring/
summer 1998 "Les Marquis Touaregs"
collection combined a new vision
of Marie-Antoinette’s century with
a relaxed, casual, contemporary
attitude.
louis-philippe’s family room (12)
Louis-Philippe had two smaller rooms
combined to create this large one, where
the king and his family, who enjoyed
staying at Trianon, gathered in the
evenings. Brion furnished it in the spirit
of the times: game and needlework tables,
padded chairs and sofas upholstered in
yellow figured fabric with blue patterns.
Louis XIV’s former room of the Setting
Sun, was turned into a bedchamber for
the Duchess
of Burgundy. Under Napoleon, it
became the Emperor’s Room, where
Tsar Alexander I’s gifts of malachite
were displayed, hence its name,
the Malachite room.
Dress displayed:
Christian Dior Maison
Autumn/winter 2004/2005 haute couture dress.
the cool
room (14)
The Cool Room owes its name to
its northern exposure. This is where
Napoleon held his cabinet meetings
and Charles X bid farewell to his
ministers on 31 July 1830.
Models displayed:
Semi-linen French court dress and
"robe à l’anglaise".
topographical
room (15)
The Duchess of Burgundy used this
room, which was designed in the
perspective of the gallery next door,
called the Cool Room in the 17 th century,
as her main drawing room. Under the
Empire it was known as the Emperor’s
Main Drawing Room and used to hold
cabinet meetings until the Restoration.
Dress displayed:
Vivienne Westwood
Ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 1991.
20 21

Christian
Lacroix
women’s ensemble
spring/summer 1994
3 pieces: 1 top + 1 skirt + 1 necklace.
Evening gown, pastel flowered damask patchwork
busk embroidered with jewels, taffeta gingham
skirt, iridescent lace appliqués, embroidered birds,
butterflies and bouquets.
Christian Lacroix quotes the
18 th century through the lens of the
1940s, 50s and 60s for theatre and
opera costumes as well as haute
couture collections. In 1987 he
turned his models into marquises
who looked good enough to eat.
The designer’s passionate interest
in art informs his mythology, where
dresses are sometimes paintings that
are visited and revisited as though
they were hanging in an ideal
imaginary museum.
the garden room (17)
The Garden Room’s six windows open
out onto the little staggered rows and the
perspective of the Grand Canal. This was
a game room under Louis XIV and a
billiard room under Napoleon. The door
left of the fireplace leads to the Trianonsous-Bois
wing.
22 23
Haute couture autumn/winter 1995. Evening gown. Brocade busk with antique gold relief underlined by patinated metal and embroidered on large matching skirt. Christian Lacroix Maison Collection. © Marcio MADEIRA / Zeppelin.

Mises en résonance avec les chefs-d’œuvre des collections du musée Galliera, les
créations des plus grands couturiers contemporains témoignent d'une commune
fascination pour un XVIII e siècle fantasmé : Lagerfeld invite Watteau et ses robes
à la française chez Chanel, Galliano fait défiler chez Dior des princesses de contes
de fées, Westwood redonne vie à des courtisanes et marquises plutôt délurées...
Riche d’un superbe portfolio mêlant gravures et pièces des XVIII e , XIX e , XX e et
XXI e siècles, ce catalogue constitue un véritable hommage au style des Lumières
et à Versailles, berceau de la mode.
Harmonizing with the masterpieces from the Galliera museum, creations by
the greatest contemporary couturiers reveal a shared fascination for an
idealized 18 th century: Lagerfeld invites Watteau and his robes à la française
into Chanel’s House, Galliano has fairytale princesses model for Dior, Westwood
brings to life saucy marquises and courtesans… With a wealth of engravings
and pieces from the 18 th , 19 th , 20 th and 21 st centuries, this catalogue is a hymn to
the style of the Age of Enlightenment and Versailles, the birthplace of fashion.
23 e
www.bubblemag.fr
www.chateauversailles.fr
COUTURIERS
ET CRÉATEURS DE MODE
AU GRAND TRIANON
THE 18 TH CENTURY BACK IN FASHION
COUTURIERS AND FASHION DESIGNERS IN THE GRAND TRIANON
1
Around the exhibition
Useful
information
Exhibition from 8 July to
9 October 2011. Open every
day except Monday from
noon to 6:30pm
(last admission at 6pm).
Exhibition accessible with
the Passeport ticket or the ticket
for the Trianon Palaces and
Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.
Free for European Union
residents under 26.
vogue at Versailles
Setting up the exhibition,
commissioner’s guided tour,
interviews with designers: ISBN : 978-2-85495-450-0 extend
-:HSMIPE=^ZYZUU:
your visit to the exhibition at
www.vogue.fr/vogue-a-versailles
game-booklet
Free for children four to 12.
Available at information points
and the exhibition entrance.
With a game-contest to win
a real tailor-made princess’s
dress or a "palace kit".
exhibition
catalogue
THE 18 TH CENTURY BACK IN FASHION
LE XVIII E AU GOÛT DU JOUR
et
vous proposent
le livret‐jeu
de l’exposition
« Le xviii e au goût du jour ‐
Couturiers et créateurs de mode
au Grand Trianon »
jusqu’au 9 octobre 2011
organisée avec le Musée
LE XVIII e
AU GOÛT DU JOUR
Encore Eux – © Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 1996, Marcio MADEIRA - Zeppelin/J. M. Manaï/Ch. Milet/Thinkstock
à gagner !
une robe de
princesse et un
kit « château » !
Pour les enfants
Bilingual (French-English)
96-page work published
by Éditions Artlys
Available at the Palace of
Versailles RMN shops and
www.boutique-chateauversailles.fr
Credits: photo on left: © Andy Julia; photo on right: Photography: Chloé Le Drezen / Hair-Make-up: Luc Drouen @Mod's Hair / Costume: Atelier Les Vertugadins
win:
design
competition
> A photo session with
the magazine l’Express Styles
> A fashion lesson with
Gilles Rosier,
> Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
gift cards,
> or maybe cameras.
And you, what’s your 18th century style?
The Palace of Versailles, together with l’ Express Styles and Le Bon Marché
Rive Gauche, is organising a design competition: by showing just a detail
or the full outfit, you too can revisit the Age of Enlightenment by posting
a photo of your clothes, hairstyles or accessories inspired by this era. A
panel of judges, made up of fashion professionals and The Cherry Blossom
Girl and Miss Pandora bloggers, will decide on the three best styles.
To take part, post a photo of your style on:
www.concoursdestyle.chateauversailles.fr

ÉTABLISSEMENT PUBLIC DU CHÂTEAU,
DU MUSÉE ET DU DOMAINE DE VErSAILLES
Rp 834 - 78008 Versailles cedex
Information and booking: 01 30 83 78 00 00
www.chateauversailles.fr
sponsored by
Exhibition
commissioner
Olivier Saillard
Director of the Galliera
Museum, City of Paris Fashion
Museum
Pascale Gorguet-Ballesteros,
head curator at the Museum,
City of Paris Fashion Museum
Laurent Cotta,
in charge of contemporary
design at the Galliera Museum,
City of Paris Fashion Museum
The texts for this brochure were
written by Laurent Cotta, Pascale
Gorguet-Ballesteros, Delphine
Jaulhac, Anne de Nesle, Olivier
Saillard.
In media partnership with