Gemeente Museum in The Hague: Romantic Fashions: Mr. Darcy Meets Eline Vere
Until 22 March 2015, in The Hague, Netherlands
Rustling silk, breathtaking embroidery, frills and flounces, vast crinolines... Sharply tailored suits for dandies and elegant ball gowns for ladies… This 19th-century fashion exhibition at the Gemeente Museum in The Hague features costumes from the time of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Eline Vere and Downton Abbey.
In addition to entire costumes, the show includes glamorous accessories, tightly laced corsets and original fashion prints and photographs. With the help of the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, many items have been restored especially for the occasion and are on show to the public for the first time. The inclusion of contemporary creations shows how the 19th century still influences life today, as modern designers continue to draw inspiration from its forms, silhouettes and techniques.
Examples include the magnificent embroidery of Jan Taminiau, the dandyism of Vivienne Westwood, and the (often dark) romanticism of Jean Paul Gaultier and Edwin Oudshoorn. The 19th century was an exciting and turbulent era of dramatic social change. Fashion was no longer the exclusive preserve of rulers and their wealthy aristocratic courtiers; it played a major role in the new social order.
How did people dress to show off their 'new money'? And how could the ancient nobility distinguish itself through its court dress? As the century progressed, new fashion trends were disseminated ever faster as fashion magazines emerged and became increasingly influential. The female fashion silhouette changed constantly, men's clothing became less restricted and children’s dress was no longer simply a miniature version of what adults wore.
Evening dress by Jan Taminiau, collection 'Nature Extends', Photography: Koen Hauser, art direction: Maarten Spruyt
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