Theatre de la Mode

228 mannequins made at the end of the second world war and dressed by Parisian Couturiers, this was the world of Theatre de la Mode.

                                                                                Maryhill Museum of Art

The Germans retreated from Paris in 1944 and the new government was keen to promote the artistry and vigour of the surviving fashion industry and support the country's reconstruction. And so the concept of an exhibition of dolls dressed by couture houses in sets designed by French artists was launched.

Maryhill Museum of Art

They stood 27 inches high, bird cage bodies, white mask-like faces with beautifully coiffured hair.

The clothes were perfect miniatures of original designs and specialist manufacturers suppliers small scale hand worked lace, silk flowers, buttons, hats, shoes, gloves and bags.

Meanwhile, artists were busy creating elaborate backdrops such as theatres, grottos and war torn buildings.

The exhibition opened on 27 March 1945 and Paris was delighted, the dolls went on to tour London, Stockholm, Vienna and the USA. Then despite the success the figures were forgotten until some were found in a small museum in Washington. They were bought back to Paris, restored and exhibited again in 1990 at the Musee de la Mode.