In addition to her role as queen of France, Marie Antoinette (1755-1793)
could justly claim to rule the 18th-century fashion world. Directly
behind her throne stood a savvy dressmaker, Rose Bertin, who helped
transform the young Antoinette from a foreign princess into the epitome
of French fashion and the most glamorous woman of her era.
Two figures portraying the queen and her dressmaker appear in this
lavish paper doll collection, along with fifteen extraordinary costumes.
These elegant ensembles attest to Rose Bertin's skills as a designer and
her place as an innovator in fashion history. Her shop served as a
center for the beau monde, and its displays of garments for an
international clientele mark the first recorded showings of a couture
collection. No one acted as a more conspicuous model than the ill-fated
queen, who abandoned hoop skirts and monumental hairstyles in favor of
her trademark style, magnificent renditions of the simple garb worn by
shepherdesses and milkmaids.
These dazzling costumes, scrupulously researched and meticulously
rendered, come with detailed descriptive notes, providing a treasury of
historic fashions for paper doll fans and costume enthusiasts.