Sowcase 4 back

Description

The late 19th-century black velvet cape on display at left is an example of how fashion moves out of tailor shops and into department stores. In this way it becomes within the reach of a wider public. The elegant artifact, with a collar known as "Medici-style," was made for one of the most famous department stores in Paris. The emergence of these department stores in France provides an opportunity for a wider and wider public to adopt haute couture designs, thus contributing to the democratization of luxury. However, haute couture is still the area that generates the most salient innovations, as in the case of the original cape on the far right. Here complex embroidery is combined with glass beads. The special mesh work and pendants give the garment an absolute preciousness and uniqueness.