The Costume Gallery Visit

Though I was expecting to see much larger collection of costumes from different centuries, the National Costume Gallery still has a very beautiful assortment of mostly evening dresses from various designers from different decades and époques.

The museum truly represents the evolution of the dress and its close connection to the culture of the period of its creation. New dress shapes and models were developing according to some economic, aesthetic and/or moral changes in the society. By analyzing the silhouette, the shape and the details of one particular dress it is possible to find out many interesting facts about the status of the owner and the decade itself.

For example, in the eighteenth century layering, wearing similar garments one over another, making sleeves longer than the arms and reaching beyond the hemline was the way of showing wealth and high status. 

In the same way, full, wide shapes that required large amounts of fabric and expensive decorations and embroideries, like the crinoline skirt, were the symbols of economic growth and stability of the eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries, the period when the textile industry was prosperous. Then the crisis and the two World Wars brought extreme changes to the world, which of course were reflected in fashion. During this period we may observe the robe-de-style skirt, which substituted heavy full skirts and represented the new beginning, the new era, the desire to turn away from past and look and move foreword with hope and optimism.

Interesting for me was to explore the connection between the male and female dresses. From the late nineteenth century men’s jacket became an essential part of women’s wardrobe and reflected the desire of women to have equal rights with men. The fabric dictated the occasion, and the jacket became even more important than the coat or overcoat.  

One designer, whose creations were displayed in the gallery, was definitely dominating the scene. It was Gianfranco Ferre. His collection of dresses was indeed impressive. After visiting the museum I realized why this designer was called the “architecture of fashion”. He had a unique ability to construct a dress by “playing” with volume. “The concept of construction is the same,” Ferre used to say. “Architecture is a search for a solution of form, shape, and color. So, too, is fashion. With both, you begin with a story.” Now Gianfranco Ferre’s creations serve as a great source of inspiration for many contemporary designers.

Therefore, once again I was able to see deep connection of fashion and history. And I am sure that fashion museum and galleries is the best way to make people take fashion seriously. Dress is not simply a dress. Dress is the representation of values, status, mindset, and culture of its owner. And who knows how unusual will our contemporary dress will look for museum visitor of the 22^nd century.    

Kseniya.