Plein les Yeux! The Spectacle of Fashion

A fascinating exhibit that focuses on the way fashion has, through the centuries, pushed the body beyond its natural limits, whether by confining it in corsets and armatures, or magnifying and expanding it for theatrical effect. Emblematic silhouettes from the 16th century to our times are a reminder of how, thanks to designers’ creativity, the body can take on astonishing and extraordinary forms.

Historical garments on show include examples of the gigantic ruffled lace collars that reached their height among the European elite in the late 16th century and other exaggerated styles that made the wearer appear more imposing and majestic. Impressive theatrical costumes are also on show, such as those worn in Gone With the Wind and La Reine Margot, some of them amazingly rich in embroidery, beading and other ornamentation. A section on modern designs displays creations by Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Thierry Mugler that were inspired by the extravagant styles of earlier eras. Visitors can even try on some of this finery in the museum’s Costumerie, which stocks reproduction costumes and accessories of the 16th to 19th centuries—your chance to see what you look like, and feel like, in the voluminous skirts, confining bodices and wide neck ruffs of the past.

The Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode is housed in an authentic 19th-century lace factory, a vestige of the rich industrial past of the Calais region, once famous for its tulle and lace.

Plein les Yeux! Le Spectacle de la Mode runs from January 16 to April 28, 2013. 135 quai du Commerce, Calais, 03.21.00.42.30. website

Open Wed-Mon. Nov through Mar: 10 am-5 pm; Apr through Oct: 10 am-6 pm.

Admission: 5€