Rococo Fashion

Marie Antoinette with a Rose by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, 1783

Cake and couture...the perfectly sweet combination that epitomizes the era of Marie Antoinette. She ruled the late-1700s fashion scene as the Dauphine and later Queen of France from 1774-1793. Her years in the French palace were forever marked by her style choices. 

Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher, 1759

Before Marie Antoinette arrived to the palace and made her mark on French fashion, Madame de Pompadour embodied the beauty of Rococo style. She became famous as the mistress to King Louis XV. She epitomized the look of the era with luxurious gowns that included soft pastel hues, decorative details and romantic designs.

Mid and late 18th century fashion for women during the Rococo period included plenty of ribbons, lace and ruffles on heavy silk brocades, gowns fitted with corsets and silhouettes widened by panniers. The goal of a woman’s gown was always one of elegance, extravagance and beauty. 

The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard, 1767

Candy colors, florals and romance abound with Moschino designs perfect for Marie Antoinette or a Rococo painting. Pictured in collage: Declaration of Love by Jean Francois de Troy 1731, Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette & Rococo worthy Moschino designs

Botticelli Girl

Graceful, ethereal, romantic, mysterious. The women of Sandro Botticelli’s paintings from the Italian Renaissance continue to awe and inspire art lovers and fashion designers. Centuries since women like Venus were depicted on the 15th century canvases, the paintings’ power to enthrall remains.

Botticelli became famous for his depictions of women, including the goddess of love, Venus. In The Birth of Venus painting, Venus arrives on the shoreline ready to be dressed in a luxurious fabric with a floral design.

Mythological women including Venus and The Three Graces were painted by Botticelli again in the last 1470s or early 1480s in Primavera. In this work, the characters were painted against the backdrop of a lush garden and orchard, which helps connect the painting to ideas of love, fertility and the arrival of spring.

The famous Primavera painting was likely commissioned by the Medici family during Renaissance. For several generations, the Medicis held seats of power through business and politics in Italy. In addition to generating large sums of money for their family, they also heavily invested in the arts and humanities. By doing things like supporting artists that included Botticelli, the family helped make Florence the heart of the Italian Renaissance.

Upper right: Portrait of Lucrezia de'Medici by Agnolo Bronzino, 1560, via WikiArt

Lower left: Portrait of a Young Woman (Simonetta Vespucci as Nymph) by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-85, via Wikipedia

The Alice + Olivia Fall 2017 collection clearly drew inspiration from the Primavera painting with skirts depicting scenes from the painting. Elements throughout the collection mirrored the spirit not only the Primavera painting, but Renaissance fashion as a whole. In the above designs, there are embroidered fabrics and rich hues that are reminiscent of fashion worn by Renaissance women, including Lucrezia de'Medici.

Librarian Seeking Strong Silhouettes

Librarian seeking bold colors, rich textures and strong silhouettes to fill my closet for the season. 

This easily could have been the classified ad verbiage for a woman ready to wear the Chanel Fall 2019 couture collection. The designs were at once rooted in history, stylish and luxurious. The show was presented in front of a backdrop of books, making it easy to imagine a librarian, professor or take-charge business woman wearing the designs. 

Branding Queen

Alexander McQueen Fall 2013

Queen Elizabeth I continues to be recognized as one of the greatest leaders of her time. She ruled as a single woman on the throne of England from 1558-1603 in what has been labeled the golden era. While serving as Queen, she revolutionized the religious system by establishing the English Protestant church, resisted expectations to marry simply based on protocol, helped the arts blossom, expanded the territory and led one of England’s largest military victories. 

Though historians can look back on leaders and analyze what they did to make them memorable or worth studying, Elizabeth was recognized within her lifetime and soon after her death for her greatness. What about her leadership style helped people of the Elizabethan era see the strengths of their Queen? 

History of the Power Suit

When we hear the term “power suit,” images of 1980s female executives charging into the boardroom with broad shoulders enhanced by shoulder pads quickly come to mind. 

However, the history of the power suit and power dressing started well before Melanie Griffith cemented the iconic image in her role as Tess in the 1988 film “Working Girl.”