The Gilded Age of Fashion: 1890-1914

October 30, 2013 | Kathryn

Comments (1)

From dresses with full skirts, puffed sleeves and tightly corseted bosom to the lean silhouette and high waist of the pre-war years, take a journey through time.  In the Gallery on the 1st floor of the Toronto Reference Library,  examine fashion plates depicting styles from a period of more than two decades between 1890 and 1914.  This period was one of peace and prosperity, referred to by the French as "La Belle Epoque" (the Beautiful Age). 


FM10.1_Journal des Desmoiselles_no5168 

 FM 1.3_Vogue 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlights of the show include the handcoloured pochoir fashion illustrations of George Barbier and Georges Lepape and the clothing line of "The King of Fashion" Paul Poiret.  For background on Poiret view this video clip.

      

 

The Fashion exhibit will also feature original Canadian costume designs for  plays by George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.  If you've seen stage productions of The Importance of Being Earnest, Pygmalion or Mrs. Warren's Profession,  then maybe you've seen the costumes that were created from these designs.


 

Copied with permission
Eliza Doolittle. Copyright owned by Cameron Porteous. Copied with permission.
Copied with permission
Henry Higgins. Copyright owned by Cameron Porteous. Copied with permission.
    
Copied with permission
Lady Bracknell. Copyright owned by David Boechler. Copied with permission.
Copied with permission
Algernon. Copyright owned by David Boechler. Copied with permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gilded Age of Fashion: 1890-1914 runs from October 19, 2013 to January 4, 2014.  Admission is free.   Join us for the following free programs:

 Designing for the Shaw    November 26,  2:00 p.m.

Vintage Fashion: Reliving the Gilded Age   November 27 , 7:00 p.m.

 

Comments