Summer of Louvre

All of fashion’s elite — Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior — hail from France, so it’s only natural they were all inspired by legendary French dressmaker Madeleine Vionnet. You’ve probably never heard of her, but the “queen of the bias cut” is the reason we ladies no longer...

By Christine Borges

August 5, 2010

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All of fashion’s elite — Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior — hail from France, so it’s only natural they were all inspired by legendary French dressmaker Madeleine Vionnet. You’ve probably never heard of her, but the “queen of the bias cut” is the reason we ladies no longer have to wear corsets, padding, or stiff dresses. With her dress designs, she accentuated the female form, creating the body-skimming looks we still see on today’s runways. She also brought the then-unusual chiffon, silk, crêpe de chine, gabardine, and satin fabrics into middle-class closets.

The book Madeleine Vionnet — edited by the chief curator of the Fashion and Textiles Museum at the Louvre, Pamela Golbin — is making its way to the Wolfsonian as part of a book talk and reception this Wednesday. Golbin, who was raised in Miami and educated at Columbia and the Sorbonne, has been curating exhibitions for one of the most popular museums in the world since 1993.
Wed., Aug. 18, 7 p.m., 2010

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Christine Borges is an award-winning writer and editor from Miami. She has over a decade of experience reporting on music, fashion, and the arts. When she’s not exploring new scenes and cultures, she’s petting dogs.

Contact: Christine Borges