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The Daily OrangeThreads of the throne
SU professor twists modern style with 18th century couture in Everson Museum exhibit
By Christine Robertson
Posted: 9/24/08, 12:20 AM EST Section: Feature
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The model in the forefront wears a taffeta dress with an elaborate pearl necklace, typical of the time period. But something seems uncharacteristic of the French style - the dress has a modern touch with Dolce and Gabanna belt and shoes, which spell out "sexy" in gold.
Syracuse University professor of fashion history Jeffrey Mayer has embodied the life of the French queen in his exhibit, "Styling the 18th-Century Superstar," now on display at the Everson Museum of Art in downtown Syracuse.
The exhibit is a spectacular presentation of fashions inspired by the Austrian-born Antoinette. Mannequins are dressed in styles by various designers from Chanel to Mossimo for Target.
Mayer pieced together gowns, jewelry, shoes and headpieces to create true works of art in the dream-like arrangements fit for a queen. He said he was inspired to create the exhibit after his students showed a high interest in Sofia Coppola's 2006 film "Marie Antoinette."
"It made me think about how I could stage a fashion presentation about Marie Antoinette without any 18th century clothing," he said.
After two years of gathering materials and assembling the exhibit, it was displayed for the first time in Lyman Hall on September 20. It is on display on the second floor of the Everson museum.
The exhibit is organized into different themes, including fantasy in dress and the luxury of garments. It also explores the use of menswear by a 14-year-old princess for riding, along with the exoticism of the objects Antoinette's mother sent her from the Far East.
There are seven sections to the exhibit: at play, robe en chemise, toil de joue, exotics, menswear, at court, Marie Antoinette and Madame Alexander. Each segment features a group of mannequins posed in different positions, creating different scenes.
In addition to the garments, there are various backdrop objects such as flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables looking like a garden. Antoinette rests within a small village created for her where she spent time pretending to be stewardesses and milkmaids.
A ship with lace sails adorns the mannequin's head in a sea of wild, white-blonde hair. In front of her, a sheep also wears a similar headpiece inspired by Antoinette's small hamlet.
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