The Creation of Elegance in Paris under King Louis XV

EVENT DESCRIPTION

During the eighteenth century, Paris had become one of the great European centers for luxury industries, a foremost destination mentioned by almanacs, novelists, press and guidebooks. The French Rococo style infused European aristocratic tastes, giving birth to a golden era of creativity and sophistication. King Louis XV’s contemporaries came to prefer boutiques and arcades over fairs and markets, paving the way for modern shopping habits. This craving for consumption met its adequate professionals:  fashion dealers named “Marchand de modes”, “furniture dealers called “Marchands Merciers”, and specialized goldsmiths now appointed ”Joailliers”: jewelry masters. This conversation, the creation of Elegance in Paris under King Louis XV, brings the audience back to the origins of shopping, depicting the very beginning of a fashion destination: Paris!

Speakers:
Dr. Florian Knothe, Associate Professor, Museum Director at University of Hong Kong
Mathilde Rondouin, Art Historian and Lecturer at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts