- How the Affair of the Necklace Sparked the French Revolution
- The complete history of Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation gown by Sir Norman Hartnell
- Jeanne Lanvin 1938 “garden party” gowns for Princess Elizabeth and Margaret’s dolls, Marianne and France
- Lady Mendl’s Elsa Schiaparelli “Apollo of Versailles” cape
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How the Affair of the Necklace Sparked the French Revolution
Marie Antoinette’s legacy will forever be overshadowed by the damaging reputation imposed on her during her life, which cemented her place as one of the most unfairly villainized women in history. Her love of frivolous fashion, indulgent tastes, lavish spending, and independent spirit made her the target of intense scrutiny during her reign. This opulent…
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The complete history of Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in Orin, Algeria in 1936 to French parents. He became a fan of fashion early on through reading his mother’s fashion magazines. When he was 13, seeing a performance of Molière’s École des femmes (School for Wives) starring Louis Jouvet inspired him to begin sketching and making costumes. In the years…
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Balenciaga orange evening coat from the Fall/Winter 1954-1955 collection
This voluminous orange silk evening coat by Balenciaga comes from his Fall/Winter 1954-1955 collection. Unlike Dior’s popular “New Look” Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972) was using linear lines which fit loosely on the body. His manipulation of the waist dramatically revolutionized women’s fashion forever. Even Dior looked up to Balenciaga, famously calling him “the master of us…
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Christian Dior’s Fall/Winter 1949 Cynge Noir gown
This exquisite Cynge Noir (black swan) evening gown by Christian Dior comes from the Autumn/Winter 1949 Milieu du Siècle line. This marked Dior’s sixth collection. The gown was crafted from silk-velvet, net and faille textiles by Bianchini-Férier. At the time he designed this collection, Christian Dior stated “A golden age seemed to have come again.…
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A Quilted Ruby-Red Set From Adolfo Couture Fall-Winter 1969-1970
This vibrant ruby-red Adolfo Couture set comes from his FW 1969-1970 Collection. I love this outfit because it’s aesthetic truly teeters on the edge of a decade, containing elements of both 60’s and 70’s style. The lush velvet top features an elegant boat neck giving way to dramatic belle sleeves. These are trimmed in three…
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The Cherry Shoe By Manolo Blahnik
Pictured is one of the 60 recreations of Monolo Blahnik’s iconic 1971 cherry heel which was seen in V&A’s 2003 Ossie Clark exhibition. This is the shoe that put Blahnik on the map. This design was inspired by Blahnik’s favorite fruit, cherries. I love how the green suede stems are so artfully versatile and can…
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Yves Saint Laurent’s Iconic Les Tournesols/Sunflower Jacket
Yves Saint Laurent debated the iconic “Les Tournesols” jacket in his Spring-Summer 1988 collection, where it was modeled by Naomi Campbell. In this exquisite collection Saint Laurent paid tribute through fashion to painters he admired, including Braque, Matisse, Picasso and Van Gogh. The les tournesols jacket was created in homage to Van Gogh’s famous still…
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The History Of The Lederhosen and Dirndl
It’s that time of year again! During Oktoberfest you’ve probably seen people out and about in its traditional festive Bavarian outfits, which were introduced centuries ago to celebrate German pride. In fact, the lederhosen and dirndl may be the most recognizable and iconic country-specific outfits in the world. So let’s break down how these outfits…
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The History Of The Ballet Tutu
The tutu has become an iconic and integral part of the ballet aesthetic over the years. Though they are now created in thousands of dazzling colors and styles, their origin was originally for function over fashion. The skirt that we know today as the “Romantic tutu” traces all the way back to 1832 to a…