My visit to the Théâtre de la Mode, part I

Taking a closer look at an ivory silk damask evening dress by Worth in a set designed by Jean Cocteau (photo, denisebrain)

I've never been to France, but recently had the feeling of traveling through both time and space to the Paris of 1944-46. The occasion was a visit to the ongoing exhibition of the Théâtre de la Mode at the Maryhill Museum of Art near the town of Goldendale, Washington.

The museum stands quite alone, a grand chateau located on a precipice overlooking the Columbia River Gorge.

A view from the Maryhill Museum grounds on the cold November day I visited (photo, denisebrain)

It is home to an eclectic collection of art, including the Théâtre.

Created in Paris starting in 1944, the Théâtre de la Mode is a work of haute couture, theater and art, with stage sets and dolls designed and created by artists, and fashions by over 55 design houses. They came together for the survival of haute couture.

Some of the clothing designers who dressed these artful dolls in miniature versions of their best and most current fashions include Balmain, Balenciaga, Fath, Hermès, Lanvin, Paquin, Schiaparelli and Ricci.

I'll be writing more about this incredible exhibit as I get a chance in the next several months.