Thousands of publications and sites out there mainly cover the most superficial aspects of fashion making us believe that this industry is just about a bunch of sad shopaholics.
Yet there is much more going on in the fashion industry.
One aspect of the fashion industry that always fascinated me is the connection it entertains with power and politics.
Many books have been written about this fascinating topic and many more will definitely follow, yet to discover the origins of such connection we have to go back in time.
Modern presidents, heads of government, secretaries of state, ministers and politicians are indeed just the latest fashion victims of this long-lasting trend.
History is indeed full of emperors and dictators who understood very well how fashion can be turned into a very useful power and propaganda tool.
Among them we should include also Napoleon Bonaparte. There is indeed an exhibition entitled “Napoleone e l’Impero della Moda" (Napoleon and Fashion Empire), that opened this summer at Milan’s Triennale, that perfectly tries to explore the links between his reign and fashion.
Curated by Cristina Barreto and Martin Lancaster, the exhibition features 51 dresses matched with different accessories and a collection of prints from the Journal des Dames et des Modes.
The exhibition opens with costumes influenced by the Directoire, the period that officially closed on 9th November 1799 - 18 Brumaire by the French Republican Calendar - when Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power.
After drafting the Constitution of the Year VIII, securing his election as First Consul and taking up residence at the Tuileries, Napoleon became the most powerful person in France.
In this new role he soon tried to shape a new social class that included members of the old aristocracy and of the nouveaux riches.
The revolution in France had caused a sort of reaction to over-embellished pieces, so during the Directoire, fashion looked at neoclassic inspirations with women favouring ethereally diaphanous muslin gowns inspired by ancient Greek and Roman tunics characterised by a high waistline worn with an Indian cashmere, silk or muslin shawl.
As the years passed neoclassical trends started being diluted: a short tunic à la grecque, à la turque, à la juive or à la russe, was used over long dresses and, little by little, a few decorative elements came back into fashion, like lace and embroidered details.
Napoleon also tried to restore the textile industry that had suffered a blow after the 1793 siege of Lyon where local factories closed down and looms were destroyed.
After the siege, silk was abandoned in favour of muslin, but Napoleon reintroduced it together with tulle, French cotton and lace.
New fashion trends also arrived after military campaigns: turbans became popular after Napoleon went to Egypt; a passion for furs was imported from Prussia, Poland and Russia while Italy spawned a new interest for neoclassical jewellery pieces.
While Napoleon was in power, Louis-Hippolyte Leroy became the most popular couturier.
He had an atelier in rue de Richelieu where he created dresses and accessories and also sold fabrics.
Leroy usually made creations following drawings by Louis-Philibert Debucourt, Jean-Baptiste Isabey and Auguste Garneray, and was also known as importer of the fashionable shawls favoured by ladies and by the empress as well (Napoleon tried to ban Indian shawl to restore French production, but, despite Leroy had commissioned new drawings for prints from Isabey and Carle Vernet that had to be used on shawls produced in Terneaux, he still kept on importing them to satisfy the demand).
While the first part of the exhibition focuses more on the daily and seasonal fashion trends and on wedding and mourning styles, the second part looks at Napoleon’s interests in using fashion as propaganda.
Napoleon's coronation ceremony was indeed a perfect display of power: artist Jacques-Louis David was hired to commemorate the event on a 500 square feet canvas; architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine took care of the decorations and Jean Baptiste Isabey designed the costumes.
Napoleon wore a white satin tunic embellished with gold embroideries, a red velvet cloak with ermine lining emblazoned with the initial of his name, golden bees (inspired by the golden bees found in Childeric’s tomb) and olive, oak and laurel leaves.
The empress wore a white satin dress in neoclassical style but with puffed sleeves, decorated with floral motifs in gold and diamonds that called back to mind Renaissance fashion.
Ladies soon became ambassadresses for fashion through the pages of early fashion publications such as the Journal des Dames et des Modes, founded by Jean-Baptiste Sellèque and Pierre de La Mésangère in 1797.
This publication featured illustrations showing popular fashion trends inspired by prominent ladies and contributed to advertise and make popular Leroy’s designs.
In many ways the entire fashion industry benefited from Napoleon’s reign: embroiderers, fur and shoe makers (such as Cop), jewellery designers and hairstylists thrived, contributing to give back to Paris its title of arbiter of style.
From a historical point of view this exhibition is quite interesting and it tackles really well the different changes in style from the Directoire on.
It's a pity though that the organisers went for a rather traditional approach in displaying the various costumes and that they didn't explore the influence of Napoleonic fashion in contemporary designs such as Galliano's Spring/Summer 2010 menswear collection.
It would have been also interesting to close the exhibition with a display tackling issues of fashion, politics and power in our times to draw some comparisons between Napoleon and some of our heads of government, presidents and politicians. Yet I'm sure this event will still provide some interesting inspirations for all the history, fashion and also costume design fans who will have the chance to visit it.
"Napoleone e l'Impero della moda" is at Milan's Triennale, until 12th September 2010.
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Not just an ordinary fashion, they are one of the biggest influence of the century.
Posted by: vigilon security systems | June 17, 2011 at 10:36 AM
I find the fashion during the Napoleon Era very elegant and classy.
Posted by: logistics recruitment agencies | June 15, 2012 at 04:21 AM