Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion 1795-1815

Thanks to a prestigious private collection, this book explains how from this moment on the clothing of men, women and children acquired a social, cultural and economic importance it had never had before in the history of the Western world and in what terms, from the Napoleonic era onwards, we may rightly talk about Fashion in the sense as we understand it today. From 1800 onwards dress evolved year after year reflecting historical and political events, industrial advances and technical development, influences of the arts and culture, and the taste of the rich and powerful.
Key Sales Information - This unique catalogue presents more than 100 perfectly preserved and restored articles of clothing including day dresses, bridal and evening gowns, embroidered slips and petticoats, shawls and cloaks, men's jackets and topcoats, walking sticks, scarves and collars, teamed with shoes, handbags, hats and costume jewellery - It also offers a rare, close-up look at many labour-intensive details: perfect decorative seams, minute stitching, knife-sharp pleats, and voluptuous drapery that many of today's fashion designers try to adapt to a contemporary idiom, and to the realities of modern manufacturing - It will appeal to anyone interested in fashion, historical costume, or textile history Authors Cristina Barreto and Martin Lancaster are private collectors and curators.