“Fashioning the Early Modern: Creativity and Innovation in Europe, 1500-1800” was a €1 million project, funded by HERA (Humanities in the Research Area), investigating creativity and innovation that lay behind the creation and spread of fashionable goods in early modern Europe.

The project ran from 2010 until May 2013 and has now finished. This website is being retained as an archive of the project but is no longer being updated.

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Costume Colloquium IV: Colors in Fashion, Florence, November 2014. Read More.

Object in Focus

Balloon Handkerchief

Balloon Handkerchief
Cane coated with cinnamon bark, knob of guilded silver, c.1550, © Royal Armoury, Stockholm Cane coated with cinnamon bark, knob of guilded silver, c.1550, © Royal Armoury, Stockholm Large vizard mask, 16th or early 17th century, Daventry area, Northamptonshire Large vizard mask, 16th or early 17th century, Daventry area, Northamptonshire A glove of cream leather with satin gauntlet embroidered with silk and metal thread, purl and spangles, trimmed with silk ribbon and silver-gilt bobbin lace, England, 1600-1625, <br />©Victoria and Albert Museum, London A glove of cream leather with satin gauntlet embroidered with silk and metal thread, purl and spangles, trimmed with silk ribbon and silver-gilt bobbin lace, England, 1600-1625
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London A woman’s jacket of hand-knitted silk and silver-gilt wrapped silk, lined with blue linen, England (possibly), 1630s (possibly), <br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London A woman’s jacket of hand-knitted silk and silver-gilt wrapped silk, lined with blue linen, England (possibly), 1630s (possibly),
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Suit, ivory satin, quilted, with applied silk braid, England (made), 1635-1640(made), <br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Suit, ivory satin, quilted, with applied silk braid, England (made), 1635-1640(made),
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London. English lady in winter costume, Wenceslaus Hollar, 1643<br />© British Museum, London English lady in winter costume, Wenceslaus Hollar, 1643
© British Museum, London Early modern buckle with unusual details, discovered from urban archaeological excavations in Oulu, Finland Early modern buckle with unusual details, discovered from urban archaeological excavations in Oulu, Finland Man's banyan, 1720s-30s, made in Europe from imported Chinese silk damask (courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions, V & A, T.31-2012) Man's banyan, 1720s-30s, made in Europe from imported Chinese silk damask (courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions, V & A, T.31-2012) Woven silk panel, patterned silk, Lyon (probably, woven), 1735-1740 (made), <br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Woven silk panel, patterned silk, Lyon (probably, woven), 1735-1740 (made),
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Folding fan, ivory sticks with gold, silk leaf with gouache painting, 1750-1760, Den Gamle By, Denmark (Photo: Den Gamle By and Frank Petersen) Folding fan, ivory sticks with gold, silk leaf with gouache painting, 1750-1760, Den Gamle By, Denmark (Photo: Den Gamle By and Frank Petersen) Robe and petticoat, Sack back gown, Dress, France, 1770-1780, <br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Robe and petticoat, Sack back gown, Dress, France, 1770-1780,
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London 18th Century Masquerade mask, supposedly worn by Gustaf III, king of Sweden<br />© Nordiska Museet 18th Century Masquerade mask, supposedly worn by Gustaf III, king of Sweden
© Nordiska Museet “Ridiculous Taste or the Ladies’ Absurdities”, by M. Darly, 1771<br />© British Museum, London “Ridiculous Taste or the Ladies” Absurdities”, by M. Darly, 1771
© British Museum, London Hand-painted Swedish faience tray decorated with the motif of an English fashion caricature entitled “Ridiculous Taste or the Ladies‘ Absurdity”, by Erik Borg, 1772<br />© National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm Hand-painted Swedish faience tray decorated with the motif of an English fashion caricature entitled “Ridiculous Taste or the Ladies‘ Absurdity”, by Erik Borg, 1772
© National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm A Courtesan and Frizeur, by M Darly, 1772, British Museum<br />© British Museum, London A Courtesan and Frizeur, by M Darly, 1772, British Museum
© British Museum, London Coat, Silk and linen, hand woven and hand sewn, Great Britain (made), 1785-1790 (made), <br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Coat, Silk and linen, hand woven and hand sewn, Great Britain (made), 1785-1790 (made),
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Man's suit, coat and breeches, France (made), 1785-1792, Silk and linen, hand woven and hand sewn, machine made linen net, glass paste, silver<br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Man's suit, coat and breeches, France (made), 1785-1792, Silk and linen, hand woven and hand sewn, machine made linen net, glass paste, silver
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Paper fan decorated with one of the most famous fashion caricatures of the late 1790s: Les Incroyables by Carle Vernet. Photo: Nordic Museum, Sweden Paper fan decorated with one of the most famous fashion caricatures of the late 1790s: Les Incroyables by Carle Vernet. Photo: Nordic Museum, Sweden Dress coat, England (probably made), c1790-c1800, embroidered silk<br />© Victoria and Albert Museum, London Dress coat, England (probably made), c1790-c1800, embroidered silk
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

 

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