Fashion in the making. Photographs of 1920s and 1930s designs

from 6 November 2024 to 26 January 2025

The exhibition “La mode en modèles” on view from November 6, 2024 to February 26, 2025, presents a selection from the museum’s collection of photographic deposits of fashion models. More than one hundred photographs, drawings, films, and haute couture dresses provide an overview of Parisian fashion creation during the Roaring Twenties, from 1917 to 1939. These often overlooked images, crucial to the legal protection of fashion houses, offer a detailed look at the work of major couturiers, from the Callot sisters to Jeanne Paquin, from Jeanne Lanvin to Elsa Schiaparelli, including Madeleine Vionnet and Jean Patou. They allow us to trace the evolution of fashion innovation and aesthetics during this iconic period.

• Individual tickets
• Self-guided groups

Tickets

Online booking strongly recommended for tours on Saturdays and Sundays

Estimated duration of the visit : 1h30

Information

Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
France
Phone: +33 (0)1 44 55 57 50


#ModeenModeles

Download the brochure for the exhibition “Fashion in the making. Photographs of 1920s and 1930s Designs”
Download (472 KiB)

• Access
• Opening Hours and Admission Fees

Curator
• Sébastien QUÉQUET, Curator, Photography Collection assisted by Özgül DEMIR

With the support of the International Council

Présentation

Models deposits, a component of industrial property along with patents and trademarks, were filed with labor courts or court registries until 1979 to legally protect a creation and act against copying. Their creation during the First World War was aimed at combating the “fashion pirates”, smugglers and imitators who were rampant in France and abroad. Lawsuits reported in the press, such as that of Madeleine Vionnet in the early 1920s, solidified the practice. Until the late 1930s, couturiers had their new creations photographed from every angle. A model deposit could be a collection of several photographs or the result of a photographic system that combined lenses or mirrors to capture the different facets of the outfit: front, back, profile. Attracting a specific category of photographers, often professional studios or portraitists, or even famous figures such as Man Ray or Thérèse Bonney, these deposits illustrate the importance of photography in the fashion industry and the protection of intellectual property.

Adultes Activities

Guided tours and workshop are available in French, English, Italian and Spanish.

Individual ADULTES

Adultes Guided Tour (15 ans et +)
Fashion in the making. Photographs of 1920s and 1930s designs
The presentation of photographs designed to provide legal protection for couturiers’ designs leads visitors to discover a little-known aspect of the role played by photography in the history of fashion. It’s also an opportunity to admire models and photographs of the great names in fashion from the 1920s and 1930s.

TIME: 1H30

INFORMATION

You can contact the public service Monday to Friday, 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm:
• by phone: 01 44 55 59 75
• by e-mail: billetterie@madparis.fr

All correspondence should be addressed to Service des Publics, Les Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris.


Discover the other activities offered by the Public Services department

ACTIVITIES FOR GROUP

Guided tours and workshop are available in French, English, Italian and Spanish.

ADULTES GROUPS

Guided Tour – 1h30 / 15 years old and +
Fashion in the making. Photogaphs of 1920s and 1930s designs

The presentation of photographs designed to provide legal protection for couturiers’ designs leads visitors to discover a little-known aspect of the role played by photography in the history of fashion. It’s also an opportunity to admire models and photographs of the great names in fashion from the 1920s and 1930s.

EDUCATION GROUPS

Guided Tour - 1h30 / High School and higher education
Fashion in the making. Photogaphs of 1920s and 1930s designs

The presentation of photographs designed to provide legal protection for couturiers’ designs leads visitors to discover a little-known aspect of the role played by photography in the history of fashion. It’s also an opportunity to admire models and photographs of the great names in fashion from the 1920s and 1930s.

INFORMATION / Reservation

Schedules for group visits and activities:
• Youth (scholar and leisure): Tuesday to Friday from 10am
• Social sector et handicap : Tuesday to Friday from 10am
• Adults : Tuesday to Friday from 11am

You can contact the public service Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm:
• by phone: +33(0)1 44 55 57 66
• by email: reservation@madparis.fr

All correspondence should be addressed to Service des Publics, Les Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris.

Pre-booking form Young leisure and school groups
Download (54.8 KiB)
Pre-booking form for adult and company
Download (54.4 KiB)
Pre-booking form for adult association
Download (54.7 KiB)

Please send the completed pre-reservation form to reservation@madparis.fr.

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