The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–1957
Thematic Galleries (3), (4) & (5)
Hong Kong Heritage Museum 30 May 2009 - 28 September 2009
A Salute to Masters Programme Series
This exhibition focuses on post-war couture during a decade (1947–1957) that Christian Dior described as the "Golden Age" of fashion. Drawn mainly from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collections of French and British fashion and photography, it explores the creative, social and commercial aspects of this highly traditional and luxurious craft industry and analyses its legacy. Starting in Paris under the German occupation and the impact of the "New Look" that emerged in 1947, the exhibition examines the world and history of couture: its designers, fashion houses, models and clients and its introduction into popular fashion. Highlighting the works of the masters and legends of fashion such as Christian Dior, Cristbal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain and Hubert de Givenchy in Paris and their London counterparts Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies, it traces one of the most glamorous and remarkable decades in fashion history. More than 100 dresses will be on display, including daywear, cocktail and evening dresses made for the high society and royalty, alongside photographs by renowned fashion photographers Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon and documentary film, textiles and archive material. "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–1957" offers an insight into fashion at its most artful, imaginative and powerful and into a decade when designers set the highest standards of quality and innovation. Special programmes in association with the exhibition "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957" Foreword Preface The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–1957 Post-War and the Theatre de la Mode The New Look The World of Couture Photography and Illustration The Collections Tailoring Cocktail and Early Evening Evening and Ballgowns The Legacy Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department Organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum Supported by the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Sponsored by Christian Dior This is a programme of Le French May Exhibit Highlights
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