The “Haute-a-porter” exhibition at Modemuseum Hasselt caught my eye quite a while ago, but I didn’t visit it till last Saturday. The date was picked a couple of months ago and due to other important events as exams etc., the date was set on this Saturday. Hasselt is only 75 minutes away from my home town and quite a pleasant ride as my and my friend chatted all the way there, and almost got lost due to a local event. Garmin navigation to the rescue!
This is what the museum has to say about the exhibition:
“Haute Couture is synonymous with craftsmanship, luxury, extravagance and spectacle. But aren’t these typical features of contemporary prêt-a-porter?
The exhibition examines this question further and researches the challenging relationship and cross-fertilization between haute couture and ready to wear.
Through a variety of themes and a selection of spectacular silhouettes and accessories from high-end designers and fashion houses, the exhibition highlights the significance of haute couture for contemporary fashion.” (Source: website Modemuseum Hasselt)
The exhibition themes covers crinolines and how they are still used in haute couture and ready to wear. The photo above is a nice example of the more modern use of crinolines.
Volume: Creating volume seems to be a important part of fashion design. A crinoline is a perfect example of that. But volume can also be used to transform body shape or to create a dramatic effect.
Decoration: This theme shows how the more traditional crafts like embroidery, and feather working are substituted by modern techniques like 3D-printing or computing. The Thierry Mugler haute couture dress, as seen in the picture on the right, is an brilliant example of the use of decoration. It is made of artificial shells that are made of blue synthetic material.
Classics: Why are certain classic pieces of clothing never out of fashion? This Herve L. Leroux haute couture dress is an example of how the classic Roman style dress is transformed into something more modern. It is part of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection, but still looks very classic….
I loved browsing through this colorful and interesting exhibition. It took us more than 3 hours to see all the pieces that were on display. And, being the sewing nerds that we are, we were discussing loads of details and construction techniques while admiring the pieces. Sometimes we wished we could see the inside of the dress…. All the pieces are extremely accessible but no, we were not allowed to touch them… or turn them inside out… All those beautiful clothes from Dior, Chanel, Burberry, Lanvin, Nina Ricci, Vivienne Westwood, Prade, Dries van Noten, Alexander McQueen, Schiaparelli, Gucci, Iris van Herpen and (loads) more are so impressive to see!
If you would like to visit this exhibition as well, there is still time! The exhitibition is ends the 11th of September 2016. More information can be found on the website of the Museum. And Hasselt is a very charming Belgium village that has a lot to offer if you love shopping clothes, food or Belgian Chocolade….
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