Théâtres de la mode

The display window is rooted in the histories of both art and fashion. The runway was once a stage, and early fashion shows were presented in ways akin to the exhibitions of the time. The interconnected worlds of art salons and commerce, of shops and museums and of theatres and couture houses form the starting point of this book.

Bringing together artists, designers and historians, it seeks to trace the lineage of a genre with well-established codes at a time when the spectacle of fashion, now conceived with online dissemination in mind, has become a global media event.

The book focuses more specifically on the growing involvement of artists in the design of display windows and runways, drawing on a selection of projects that highlight the emergence of a body of work arising from their collaborations with fashion houses.