Marie Antoinette: Styling the 18th Century Superstar

September 20, 2008 - January 11, 2009

Local artist and designer Jeffrey Mayer will present a post-modern installation of 20^th century fashion design inspired by the 18^th century fashion sense of Marie Antoinette. Although Marie Antoinette did not really create a style that was personally unique, what she did for fashion in the 1770’s was to solidify, refine and intensify the rococo style created by her grandfather-in-law, Louis XV’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour, who died in 1764, six years before the 14 year old Princess even arrived from Austria. Through the exhibition and a publication to be released in the fall, Mayer will be reinterpreting and discussing Marie Antoinette’s key concepts of Fantasy, Luxury, and Exoticism.

 

Marie Antoinette was originally displayed in 2007 in a small space in Syracuse University’s Fashion Design Department where Mayer has been Associate Professor of Fashion History and Design since 1992. For the Everson’s installation, Mayer has expanded the visual experience to include more than 40  garments displayed on vintage mannequins, an eclectic collection of contemporary fashion accessories, an interactive audio component, and many unique, custom-designed and hand-made objects.

 

This exhibition is made possible with support from:

M & T Bank

The Post-Standard

 

Media Sponsorship provided by:

NewsChannel 9 WSYR