Paris Fashion Week is underway, which means industry insiders have begun descending upon the City of Light for yet another season of runway collections. Last night, however, the French capital’s most-talked-about style was at the historic Louvre, which just celebrated its first-ever sartorially-oriented exhibit, “Louvre Couture,” with its first annual Grand Dîner du Louvre.
The lavish affair, which raised more than 1 million euros for the museum’s many endeavors, could be described as France’s très chic answer to the Met Gala. As is often the case, they found a way to imbue their version with the kind of glamour only the French can manage. A who’s who of both Hollywood notables (including Gemma Chan, Dev Patel, and Michelle Yeoh) and fashion luminaries (like Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede, and Tyra Banks) kicked off the night at a step-and-repeat set in front of the Louvre’s iconic outdoor pyramid structure—set beautifully aglow in golden light. The group was met inside with an elegant cocktail hour, dinner prepared by Michelin-starred French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, and a VIP tour of the “Louvre Couture” collection.
Defining “Louvre Couture”
The exhibition itself is plenty buzz-worthy without all the star-studded support. Set in a sprawling space of 9,000 square meters, the garments from 45 fashion houses on display all thoughtfully correspond with the Louvre’s existing treasure trove, with pieces dating back to the Byzantine era and Middle Ages all the way through the 19th century. Some highlights? For one, an opulently embellished Chanel jacket from the brand’s spring-summer 2019 haute couture range. The piece is placed near its source material: an 18th-century console adorned with an intricate china blue animal and floral motif and metallic scrolls that caught designer Karl Lagerfeld’s eye when conceptualizing the collection—his last for the brand before his passing in February 2019.
Then there’s a sumptuous red velvet Dior couture gown circa autumn-winter 2004–2005. Made under the tenure of John Galliano, the regal piece was heavily influenced by the French film Sissi—The Young Empress, in which late French German actress Romy Schneider portrays the Austrian royal. Set in the upper echelons of 19th-century European court life, the movie is rich with visually arresting interiors: plushly upholstered furniture, gilded moldings, enamel-detailed objects. All this inspired Galliano to make looks right at home surrounded by the Louvre’s display of Second Empire decor from Napoleon III’s apartments.
