Voici Paris: Haute Couture is a major exhibition which showcases the history of haute couture.

The exhibition recounts, on an inspiring way, the story of couture, beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century. This historical story is told by exclusive creations made by top designers, but also design drawings, accessories, fabric samples/swatches, embroideries, moving images and photographic material.

The Gemeentemuseum Den Haag owns one of the largest fashion collections in Europe, in which many of the well known couture houses are represented. It includes early pieces of couturiers like Worth, Poiret and Vionnet who where the forerunners of couturiers but also createurs (designers fashion) like we know them nowadays. The collection also contains famous or iconic items like for example the original pink Givenchy dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Next to the historical showcase of haute couture the exhibition highlights contemporary couture. Renowned fashion houses, such as Dior, Chanel, Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier, have loaned exclusive couture creations from their most recent collections.In a parallel to the international history of couture the exhibition features also the history of Dutch couture and shows the work of notable dutch couturiers like Frans Molenaar and Fong Leng but also work from the new generation of Dutch couturiers like Jan Taminiau.

The curator and art director of the exhibition is Maarten Spruyt, who was also responsible for previous fashion exhibitions for the Gemeentemuseum, including Fashion NL: the next generation (2006), Hague Court Fashions (2007) and The Ideal Man (2008).  This exhibition  is part of Holland Art Cities and it will run untill 6th June 2010.

 
Photo top by Marc de Groot | Gemeentemuseum The Hague