So I went to the Fashion Icons exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. This exhibition has been brought over from Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. 90 pieces showcasing fashion from the 1940s to the 1990s. What can I say, other than fan-bloody-tastic. It felt like a dream walking through clothing designed by some of the most famous people in the world: Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent. I did find myself struggling to even breathe. As I progressed through, things improved so I could really focus on design and construction elements. Sigh! There was so much to see. At times I thought my brain would burst! How to keep it all in there. Whilst not every piece got me excited, I could appreciate the work put into it all. The fabrics (or plastic or metal or glass!) were phenomenal.
I did want to take a few pieces home with me. Ok, I would have taken any of it home with me, but there were some extra-special pieces. The beading on the jacket of the evening suit by Yves Saint Laurent (black on pale blue velvet) was divine. The jacket was quite fitted and was paired with a short full black skirt - so typical of the 1980s. It took me back 😊.
The ball gowns were amazing. For me, this is the quintessential component of French fashion. The first gown in the exhibition was a 1948 Dior ball gown with huge amounts of tuille in the skirt (I think someone said 90 metres!!!). Just amazing. The piece is exhibited on a mannekin but with a wonderful photo showing how it could have been worn at the time. Just beautiful!
But my take home piece was the Chanel gown from 1996 right at the end of the exhibition. And typically for me, it was the most expensive piece of the exhibition 😉. But of course that wasn't why I loved it. Firstly the fabric - gold (literally) beading and threads stitched onto black velvet in a pattern that mimics panelling in Chanel's own apartment in Paris. Then the sillouette - fitted bodice and a straight skirt over the hips and to the knees and then flared. And finally, construction. One of the best parts of the exhibition is that you can see 360 degrees around almost every piece. I spent a good deal of time, especially this piece, with my neck craning to see details of the back or side or hem. The beading details were breathtaking.
I picked up a copy of the catalogue so I can flick through it for years to come. A glance at the photo will bring back memories and the written content includes a wealth of technical details as well as interesting stories about the designer, the collection or fashions of the time.
The exhibition is on for another two months. I plan to go again. I wonder what elements I can incorporate into my own sewing.
