The Adorned Body: French Fashion and Jewellery 1770–1910 from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris

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The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is proud to present a spectacular new special exhibition The Adorned Body: French Fashion and Jewellery 1770–1910 from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (“The Adorned Body”) to be on view from 26 June through 14 October 2024. Jointly organised by Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris and the HKPM, this exhibition features over 300 stunning pieces of French costume, jewellery, and accessory from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries from the prestigious museum, home to France’s foremost national fashion collection, to illustrate the power of fashion to transform the body in France during that period of time. Almost all exhibits will be displayed in Asia for the first time, and some of them have never been seen outside of Paris or France. 

First ever showcase of the most comprehensive historical French fashion collection in Asia

The Adorned Body is the Asian debut of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris’s most comprehensive collection of historical French fashion, with the HKPM being the first ever exhibition venue to showcase more than 300 exquisite pieces from it. As the largest survey of historical French fashion from 1770 to 1910 in Asia, the exhibition highlights the fascinating stories about fashion evolution in France and the dynamic interplay of cultures that has shaped fashion in France. In an effort to protect these precious and delicate exhibits, all objects will return to France after the three-and-half-month-long exhibition in the HKPM. The Adorned Body is one of the four major exhibitions in the West Kowloon Cultural District in 2024 that mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

Fascinating stories about fashion evolution in France and global fashion connections

In five thematic sections, The Adorned Body explores the history of men’s and women’s fashions in France from the 1770s to the 1910s. Based on the design concept of children dressing their dolls, the ensembles are curated to re-create how men and women in France dressed for various occasions. The exhibition begins with sumptuous 18th century court dresses, which French royals and aristocrats used to assert their social status. The massive bell-shaped crinoline dresses dominated the fashion scene in France and across Europe in the mid-19th century; it accentuated a woman’s small waist and hourglass-shaped silhouette, symbolising the pleasure and pain of beauty.

Other highlights of the exhibition include a luxurious dress by the father of haute couture, Charles Frederick Worth (1825–1895) featured in the fourth section. Worth dressed such prestigious clients as Empress Eugénie (1826–1920), the wife of Napoleon III and a trendsetter of fashion during that time. He was among the first to use live models to create the concept of “fashion shows”, and the first to sew branded labels into his clothing. His innovations still resonate through the fashion industry today.

This exhibition also sheds new light on the dynamic interplay of cultures that has shaped fashion in France. An 18th century indoor jacket worn by an aristocratic man featured in the first section tells important stories about the global network of trade and cultural exchanges between China and France: The jacket was made of French silk inspired by prized silk textiles created in China, which were admired as luxury items in France at the time. 

Immersive exhibition design: “fashion in film”; and innovative learning programme

Many statement costume and jewellery pieces on display are illuminated by engaging excerpts from award-winning movies which show the occasions on which they were worn and thus bring historical attire to life. Innovative multimedia features will help visitors to dig deeper into the change of silhouette and exquisite details of elements that adorned the body. In the last part of the exhibition, we will invite visitors to explore in an intimate and interactive manner the evolution of Frensh fashion in a dressing room-like environment where they can virtually “try on” clothing, accessory, and jewellery pieces. Other educational offerings include fashion-themed workshops and lectures.