Théâtre de la Mode: The Fashion Doll Exhibition That Revived The Couture Industry In 1945
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Wednesday, June 19, 2024
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After the Second World War, the fashion industry discovered Christian Dior’s New Look and the bikini. But there was another defining moment in fashion in the 1940s.
On March 28, 1945, 40 couturiers participated in the exhibition “Théâtre de la Mode” (Theater of Fashion) at the Louvre’s Marsan Pavilion and showcased their designs on miniature dolls. This was a fashion event like no other in fashion history, so you might be interested in learning about it.
You are probably wondering now how those designers had the idea to present their latest collections on dolls. To understand it, let’s briefly recall how the war affected the fashion scene.
During the war, Paris remained the epicenter of fashion, and major houses remained open in the occupied city, including Lucien Lelong, Jeanne Lanvin, Balenciaga, and Pierre Balmain. Some designers like Hugo Boss, for example, supplied uniforms to the Nazis, while others dressed their wives and girlfriends. Other designers, even big names like Coco Chanel, decided to shut down their operations temporarily during the war or flew abroad, like Elsa Schiaparelli who moved to New York in 1941.
After the liberation, Paris wanted to restore the couture industry to its former glory and raise money for war efforts. Raoul Dautry, France’s Minister of Reconstruction and Urban Development, was looking for ideas to organize a fundraising event. There was just one problem.
Although the designers regained their ability to design and sell their creations, they now faced a new challenge - a shortage of fabrics - which made it complicated to create entire collections. And so Robert Ricci, son of designer Nina Ricci, had this amazing idea to create a miniature collection, using 27-inch-tall dolls instead of real women to model the designs which, obviously, required much less fabric.
To bring his idea to life, Ricci sought the collaboration