joseph scissorhands: La Mode en Majesté. Haute Couture et Tradition à la Cour de Thaïlande/ Fashion in Majesty. Haute couture and Tradition at the Thai Court

“A queen’s wardrobe goes with her into her country’s history. Her dresses must carry the stamp of enduring elegance and guard against becoming antiquated.” - Pierre Balmain, My Years and Seasons (1964).

Whilst at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on a recent visit to Paris, I managed to catch this exhibition before it closes next week. It consists of dresses from the Thai Royal Wardrobe collection. I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it but went in with an open mind and was rewarded with amazing displays of richly embroidered gowns and displays of Thai craftsmanship. The show features more than a hundred outfits, accessories and samples which demonstrates the evolution of clothing at the Thai court. There are costumes designed by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in collaboration with a team of local Thai historians and designers, as well as the thirty year collaborations with fashion designer Pierre Balmain and legendary embroidery atelier Maison Lesage (previously here, and here). Balmain named more than 20 of his designs “Bangkok” and “Sirikit”, to reflect the significance of this collaboration. The exhibition is part of the celebrations of the 170th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Thailand. Since the 1960s, Queen Sirikit has displayed her passion for fashion design by maintaining close relationships with major French and European fashion houses to reinvent the royal wardrobe. Through these connections she has played a pivotal role in modernising the aesthetic of Thai court attire. In preparation for state visits with King Rama IX to Europe and the United States in 1960, Her Majesty initiated research into historical Thai court dress and developed eight formal styles for women, known as Chud Thai Phra Rajaniyom (Thai outfits of royal favour), each designed for specific social and ceremonial occasions. These Eight Styles of Thai Dress mark a defining moment in the modern history of the Thai national identity, a tradition now nominated for UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Garments from members of the Thai royal family including Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana and Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya–demonstrate how these forms remain a living tradition within the royal family today. The couture of all royalty throughout the world has its own particular aesthetic and distinctive, singular visual language, much of which seems to be about preserving a kind of modesty, with outfits that aren't too revealing or compromising. As a result the outfits can look particularly dull as designers are forced to reign in their vision as a compromise in respect of the monarchy. Outfits for state occasions however can be pretty spectacular with ornate decoration. The outfits on display here maintain that tradition whilst also showcasing the unique Thai craftsmanship to be found in their textiles, jewellery and accessories. There are some very fine examples of weaving, embroidery and basketry on display offering glimpses into Thailand's cultural and artistic richness. Queen Sirikit has worked tirelessly to safeguard her country's textile arts and crafts, which led her to establish the SUPPORT Foundation and the Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand (SACIT) to encourage and protect young designers and artisans within the field. The central room in the exhibition pays homage to the artisans behind Thai craftsmanship. Examples of Yan lipao basketry, bencharong porcelains, metal wares, damascening and nielloware feature which were once used to create items for courtly and everyday life, such as containers, utensils and objects of etiquette known as regalia. These techniques are now used to create accessories for traditional Thai dress, such as handbags and purses, as well as painted fans. These creations require the mastery and patience of skilled hands and are comparable to the fine haute couture skills used in the famed Parisian ateliers. A couple of cases in the exhibition contain examples of Thai brocades. Among Thailand’s textile traditions, brocade holds a special place in court culture. Woven with supplementary threads of gold or silver, these richly patterned weavings create shimmering surfaces whose designs signal rank and ceremony. Historically reserved for royalty and the highest nobility, brocade fabrics were worn by court ladies and members of the royal household. Portraits from the late 19th century, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), show women wearing pleated pha nung skirts and chong kraben trousers draped from these luminous fabrics. This section of the show presents royal garments made from brocade textiles, showing how these traditions–from gold-thread court brocades to regional weaving traditions such as khit, chok and phrae wa- -are kept alive through renewed use in royal and contemporary dress. For generations, mat mi (ikat) was woven by village women in north-eastern Thailand, its motifs shaped by memory, belief and local identity. The patterns emerge only when the dyed threads are aligned on the loom, revealing the precision of the weavers. After the death of Pierre Balmain, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit continued working with Balmain designer Erik Mortensen, and later with the houses of Dior and Valentino. The garments shown in the exhibition include creations by Balmain and Dior, enhanced by Lesages inventive embroidery highlighting the motifs and natural beauty of mat mi. Since then, Thai dress has continued to develop through new interpretations by contemporary designers. What defines contemporary Thai dress is based on three elements: the use of Thai silk, the language of draping and wrapping cloth around the body and new adaptations of the eight styles. The garments presented here show how designers extend this dialogue between heritage and creativity, renewing Thai dress whilst remaining unmistakably Thai.