Les Arts Décoratifs invited Christian Lacroix to present his first retrospective--to commemorate his twenty years in fashion. Having the museum's massive fashion holdings at his disposal and, of course, his own House's collections, Lacroix has mounted a historical fashion expedition. This is one man's personal take on the history of fashion. The exhibit is organized around themes: black and white, polka dots, colour, Hispanisme, Liturgie, etc., and shows the evolution of each theme through the ages.
To say that the exhibition is a visual feast is to state the obvious. If you are a fashion nerd like me, you will be clapping your hands and jumping up and down, albeit secretly (although I couldn't help myself in front of the Liturgie section), at the exquisiteness of it all: the delicate fabric, beading, embroidery; the bold color, cut, graphic; the fierce hat, headpiece, veil; the disturbing symbolism, vanity, ostentation. Sigh. I want to go back.
The book accompanying the show can be found here.
Christian Lacroix, Histoires de Mode, Le musée des Arts décoratifs; 8 novembre 2007 - 20 avril 2008.
