More about Lesage

Given all the questions and emails I received about yesterday's post, it seems obvious that I should have provided a little more information about Ecole Lesage.


Ecole Lesage, the embroidery school, is open to anyone. Classes for all levels, from beginner to professional, are offered throughout the year (except for August and the last week of December). Advance registration is required including a 30% deposit. The web-link to the school (which can be read in French, English or Japanese) provides more details about the courses available.

Instruction is available in both French and English. I sat at a table with a French instructor and was able to understand almost everything she said. When I had a question or problem that could not be solved with a demonstration, the English-speaking instructor intervened. (I understand French better than I can speak it.)

To see my flower brooch in more detail, please double-click on the photo in yesterday's post.

I can hardly wait to return to Ecole Lesage and would like to take the Silk ribbon Rococo pillow class or the Level 1 Flower Vase class. Next time I will also remember to pick up the two instructional books on embroidery that I somehow overlooked while I was at the school (the website does not indicate that the books can be shipped).

For those of you who have no interest in learning haute couture embroidery and would prefer to admire beautiful images of Lesage embroidery, there is an Assouline book by Lydia Kamitsis called "Lesage" published in 1999 and 2003.


This exquisite Balenciaga dress from 1961 is one of the photos in the book and is from the Lesage archives.

P.S. I counted 20 flowers on the front of this beautiful dress. Assuming the back has the same number of flowers, there would be approximately 40 flowers on the dress. If each flower takes between 3-6 hours to embroider, that is 120-240 hours of embroidery work!!! No wonder haute couture dresses are so expensive!

Ecole Lesage
1e rue de la Grange Bateliere
75009 Paris, France
01 44 79 00 88
Website: www.ecole-lesage-paris.com
Email: ecole-lesage@lesageparis.fr

Book Review: Versailles, A Biography of a Palace

There is a lot of myth associated with Versailles. This book tells the real story behind this legendary palace and is a juicy read.

In anticipation of my trip there, I read this book and I am very glad that I did. Now I know that what a tourist sees today is quite different from what actually existed during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. Each King made extensive alterations to the palace and since then there have been many more alterations.

For example, there used to be extra floors around the inner courtyards with some facades eventually reaching six stories. Both Louis XV and Louis XVI found privacy, fresh air and panoramic views from their rooftop rooms. These extra floors were described by Napolean's architect as courtyards "burdened with structures with no order or symmetry, their roofs or terraces piled on top of each other, making a real labyrinth from which the rainwater runs off with difficulty." (page 175) The removal of these top floors is an "irreparable loss for royal history".

I also gained a deeper understanding of what actually happened in Versailles from many perspectives including the traditions of ceremony, protocol, entertainment, dress, as well as fascinating details of how the thousands of support staff lived and worked the behind the scenes. Organized in a thematic rather than a sequential fashion, the book is not your typical boring history book and although it is not specifically about Marie Antoinette, she is mentioned often. This book is both entertaining and easy to read.

"Mentioned here for its sheer oddity, finally, is the use of the palace galleries by Louis XVI's brother, the clever and exquisitely polite comte de Provence, to stalk his sister-in-law, Marie-Antoinette, for who he burned with confused feelings. In the 1780s, when the prince was lodged in the Superintendency, he used to patrol the south wing's first-floor gallery in the hope of encountering "Rhodopovna," his code name for the queen, on her way to see her children, also lodged at the far end of the south wing. Halfway down the gallery with her footman, the queen would suddenly find her brother-in-law issuing from a side staircase, his prize for this subterfuge a few moments in her company and the chance to kiss her hand." (page 112)


If you are planning a trip to Versailles or want to read some scintilating facts about pre-revolutionary France, read this book. (By the way, Caroline Weber, author of Queen of Fashion, What Marie Antoinette wore to the Revolution, wrote the back cover blurb.)

Title: Versailles
Author: Tony Spawford
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York (2008)
Category: Non-fiction, history
Number of Pages: 254 (304 including endnotes)

Book Review: Seeing Through Clothes

This is a book for serious scholars of fashion or art. If that does not describe you, stop reading now! However, if you want to immerse yourself into the meaning of clothing as portrayed through works of art, then read on.

Seeing Through Clothes is concerned with the interconnection between clothes worn in real life and clothes portrayed in works of art. "With clothes as with art, it is the picture itself, not the aspects of culture or personality it reveals, that demands the attention first and appeals directly to the imagination through the eye. Because they share in the perpetually idealizing vision of art, clothes must be seen and studied as paintings are seen and studied -- not primarily as cultural by-products or personal expressions but as connected links in a creative tradition of image-making." (page xvi)


This book, densely packed with original ideas and analysis, is comprised of 5 chapters, each of which could be a book, in and of itself.

Drapery traces the visionary history of fabric through its portrayal in paintings and sculptures. "Fabric is thought to decorate and beautify, not only because of its direct appeal but because it has been shown to do so in an incredible variety of works of art since the remotest antiquity." (page 2)

The chapter on Nudity traces the meaning of the unclothed or partially clothed figure in works of art. The clothing we wear carries significant meaning and the absence of clothing in turn shares this same complexity. "Nakedness is not a customary but rather an assumed state, common to all but natural to none, except on significantly marked occasions. These may be ritual, theatrical, or domestic, but they are always special, no matter how frequent." (page 84)

In Undress, Hollander explores the idea that the suggestion of partially removed clothing creates an intensified erotic force in works of art. "In art the body without its clothes is a pale shadow of its clothed self. But the body shown either partially nude or closely accompanied by cloth and clothing can carry a more complex message about itself and its dress. The dialectic of clothes and body is more sharply focused when both appear." (page 236)

In Costume, the conventions of costume in theatre, ballet, opera and film are examined. "The history of theatrical costume shows that the first purpose of dressing for theatrical events is to catch the eye with something unusual." (page 239)

In Dress, the idea that dress is a form of visual art, with changes in what is considered fashionable dress being accomplished through filters of artistic convention (ie, photography, film or portraiture). "And the difference between the way clothes now look (at any given time) and the way they used to look is made most clear to the eye through changes in the style of their pictorial respresentation -- including styles of photography and cinematography. Dressing is always picture making, with reference to actual pictures that indicate how the clothes are to be perceived." (page 311)

In Mirrors, Hollander considers the interrelationship between mirrors and images. By looking in the mirror, we create a self-portrait by which we measure our looks against images that we have seen (in painting, photography and other media). "People look at their clothes in mirrors to see how they fit into the common visual scheme or indeed to make themselves fit in." (page 417)

Seeing through Clothes is illustrated with extensive black and white images of the works of art that Hollander uses to support her arguments. When I first opened this book, I was disappointed by the quality of printing and put it aside, not aware of the wealth of information inside. Eye candy it is not. This is brain candy! With original thought and weighty analysis, this book requires very careful and thoughtful reading. In fact, I probably should read it again.

Title: Seeing Through Clothes
Author: Anne Hollander
Publisher: University of California Press, Berkeley (Paperback version 1993)
(Originally published by Viking Press in 1973)
Category: Non-fiction - Costume in art; Costume history
Price: US$28.95 Canada $36.50
Number of Pages: 504

P.S. I've also ordered Anne Hollander's other book Feeding the Eye but I expect it will take me a while to get through it.

Book Review: My French Life

Lately I haven't had as much time to read as I normally do and the pile of books beside my bed is getting higher. And yet, when I saw this book perched up high on a shelf in my favourite independent bookstore, I just knew that My French Life would be my next book.

The name of the author on the cover looked strangely familiar and it took me a few minutes to make the connection. Could this be the same Vicki Archer who writes a blog called "French Essence"????? It was!

As soon as I opened the cover, I felt like I was transported to the south of France with Vicki telling me the story of how she came to be the owner of a seventeenth-century property in Saint-Remy-de-Provence.

Reading this is a beautifully written book was an absolute delight. Vicki Archer has an elegant way with words, creating descriptions and scenes that are both captivating and charming.

"Each morning as I leave for the boulangerie I promise myself today is the day to avoid temptation. A block away and the smell of freshly baked bread is enough to weaken my resolve. Unsurprisingly my baguette order swells to include croissant, brioche and pain au raisin or pain au chocolate....When I hear Marie's Provencal accent importing, 'Un petit gout' (a tiny taste), and asking what else I would like ensuite, ensuite (next, next), I am lost." (page 94)

Not to be overlooked are the opulent photographs by Carla Coulson that accompany Vicki's story. They are exquisitely composed in black and white as well as colour. These magnificent photos have style, energy and joie de vive. In fact, I'd have to say it is one of the most beautiful books I've seen!

At the end of the book, Vicki provides lists from her French address book, including restaurants, fashion, books, hotels, antique markets and other places of interest. I'll be taking note of these addresses for my trip later in May as they are undoubtedly fabulous!


Title: My French Life
Author: Vicki Archer
Photographer: Carla Coulson
Publisher: Viking Studio, Penguin Group New York, 2006
Category: Non-fiction
Price: US$35, Canada $38

Book Review: Fashion Show, Paris Style

This book is not what it appears. While it may appear from the cover to be a superficial look at the world of fashion, it contains a wealth of information on the history of French fashion, beginning in the 17th century and up to the present day. Fashion Show: Paris Style was the exhibition catalogue from a 2006 show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

The essay "La Mode: Paris and the Development of the French Fashion Industry" by Pamela A. Parmal, curator and head of the Department of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, comprises one third of the book. Well written and beautifully illustrated with engravings, paintings and fashion plates, this is the best part of the book. Parmal writes with precision and elegance as she explores the rich history of the development of Paris as a fashion capital. I have read this essay numerous times and with each rereading I come away with a deeper level of understanding as to why Paris remains the focus of fashion to this day.

"To be in Paris without seeing fashion is to have one's eyes closed."
Marquis de Caraccioli, 1772 (page 13)

The second part of the book is a bridge between fashion history and contemporary fashion designers and consists of an 18-page essay on "Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear: A Recent History" by Didier Grumbach.

The balance of the book is comprised of profiles of 10 fashion houses and designers, including: Azzedine Alaia, Hussein Chalayan, Chanel, Christian Dior, Maison Martin Margiela, Rochas, Valentino. Viktor & Rolf and Yohji Yamamoto. The profiles are accompanied by lavish colour photographs.

This book is an absolute must-read for all serious students of fashion!!

Title: Fashion Show, Paris Style
(Exhibition Catalogue, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Essays by Pamela A. Parmal and Didier Grumbach
Designer Profiles by Susan Ward and Lauren D. Whitley
Published by: MFA Publications, Boston 2006
Category: Non-fiction, fashion
Number of Pages: 221
Price: $65

Book Review: The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior

Title: The Little Dictionary of Fashion, A guide to dress sense for every woman
Author: Christian Dior
Category: Non-ficiton, fashion
Publisher: Abrams, New York, 2007 (First published in 1954 by Cassell & Co)
Price: US$19.95, Canada $21.95 (hardcover)
Number of Pages: 126


What it is about:
Christian Dior was not only a leading couturier, he was also a writer. He wrote several books, including this one. In his introduction, he says "Much has been written about Fashion, in all its aspects, but I do not think any couturier has ever before attempted to compile a dictionary on the subject".

In The Little Dictionary of Fashion, Dior compiles an alphabetical guide/dictionary to dressing with style and elegance. Beginning with "Accent" (that little personal touch which makes a dress your own dress) and ending with "Zest" (that is the secret of beauty and fashion, too), the book includes tips on style.

Dior wrote the book so that it would be "possible for a woman to be elegant without spending very much money on her clothes, if she follows the basic rules of Fashion and is careful to choose the clothes that suit her personality. Simplicity, good taste, and grooming are the three fundamentals of good dressing and these do not cost money."

Why I Chose this book:
After hearing Dr. Alexandra Palmer (Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles at the Royal Ontario Museum) talk about her upcoming book on Dior, I decided to read everything I could about this leading couturier.

My Favourite Passage:
"Elegance: This is a word that would need a book to give it is right definition! I will only say now that elegance must be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care, and simplicity. Outside this, believe me, there is no elegance. Only pretension.
Elegance is not dependent on money. Of the four things I have mentioned above, the most important of all is care. Care in choosing your clothes. Care in wearing them. Care in keeping them." (page 37)

Rating:
This is an amusing book for a serious fashion history buff like me. Although I was charmed, I would guess that most people would find this book out of date and somewhat dull.

Book Review: The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris

Title: The Beautiful Fall, Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris
Author: Alicia Drake
Publisher: Back Bay Books, New York, 2006
Category: Non-fiction, Fashion, History
Number of Pages: 439
Price: US$14.99, Canada $17.25 (Paperback)

What it is about:
The lives and careers of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent were intertwined from the moment they both stood on the stage to receive their awards in the 1954 International Wool Secretariat fashion design competition. Yves Saint Laurent, aged eighteen and recently arrived from Algeria, was the winner of first and third prizes in the dress category. Karl Lagerfeld, aged twenty-one from Hamburg, was winner of the coat category. From that point, Laurent and Lagerfeld were friends and rivals as their careers and lives evolved in the heady world of Parisian haute couture.

The story of the rivalry between these two iconic designers is written chronologically and the book spans the period 1954-1989. The pawn in the game between the two men was the bon vivant Jacques de Bascher. In the course of his short life, Jacques traveled between the two rival fashion camps, wrecking havoc in his wake with his affair with Yves Saint Laurent and troubled relationship with Lagerfeld.

Why I Chose this book:
It was recommended as an excellent chronicle of the 1970s fashion scene in Paris.

Favourite Passage:
"It is a grim moment for the designer when he or she finds himself or herself totally out of fashion, left behind, out of synch as time moves on. A new generation is born and the designer's vision or creative expression no longer describes or evokes the time around them. This is a creative pain unique to fashion. Of course there are trends and moods in every art form, the recent dominance of conceptual art being an obvious example. But a painting, even if it is not fashionable, can still possess its own intrinsic artistic and creative merit. Whereas one of the defining qualities of fashion is that it should describe its epoch and the desires of that moment." (page 291)

Rating:
This title of this book is a misnomer because it doesn't even hint at the scandal contained within the pages. The author has constructed shocking portraits of two of the 20th centuries greatest designers.

I was stunned by the story as it unfolded. There was so much genius, so much debauchery and so much animosity. Even though I have written extensively about Yves Saint Laurent on my fashion blog, I had little knowledge of his personal life until I read this book.

I was horrified by the degree to which Lagerfeld has manipulated and refashioned his life story to suit his purposes. The fact that Lagerfeld filed a legal writ against the author in 2006 claiming invasion of privacy, which was denied by the court, is proof of the explosive nature of the material contained in this book. No doubt the author's meticulous research and documentation (extensive footnotes and interview lists are included in the book) served her well in court.

The only weak part of the book are the title and the cover image. The rest of it is sizzling hot!

Book Review: Chinoiseries

Being an artist and a book lover, I have amassed a huge collection of beautiful books that I use for inspiration. This book called "Chinoiseries" is a reprint of a limited-edition collector's volume of forty-two stunning watercolour illustrations of "fantastical pavilions, picturesque pagodas and luxurious tents" in the Chinoiserie style of Europe.

This style was popular during the 18th century. Included in the book are several pagodas, pavilions and other structures which were commissioned by Marie Antoinette for Versailles including:

Pavilion of Diana for Trianon 1774 (unbuilt)
Chinese House for Trianon 1774 (unbuilt)
Chinese Rain Shelter for Trianon 1774 (unbuilt)
Carrousel at Trianon 1776 (destroyed)
Pagoda for Trianon 1777 (unbuilt)

Each illustration is rendered in exquisite detail in architectural elevation. Information is included on the person who commissioned it, the architect, the year it was designed, whether or not it was built, what happened to it after construction, and other tidbits of information.

The cover illustration on this stunning book is of a Chinese Tent for the Trianon commissioned by Marie Antoinette in 1780. From the atelier of architect Jean-Baptiste Pillement, this simple wooden structure was covered with canvas painted with birds and florals and decorated with ostrich plumes. The project was never built.

In the words of the authors, "Chinoiserie is Western architecture's equivalent of plain, simple joy." If you can find this stunning book, the images of these whimsical structures will, without a doubt, make you smile.

Title: Chinoiseries
Authors: Bernd H. Dams and Andrew Zega
Publisher: Rizzoli, New York 2008
Category: Non-fiction, architecture
Price: US$60, Canada $77

Book Review: My Life in France

Title: My Life in France
Authors: Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme (her husband's grandnephew)
Publisher: Anchor Books, New York, 2007
Category: Non-fiction, biography
Number of Pages: 352
Price: $14.95 Paperback

What the book is about:
Julia Child tells the story of her life and how she came to write the classic book "Mastering The Art of French Cooking". It all began when her husband Paul (who she married at the age of 34) was stationed in Paris as a cultural attache. Julia learned to speak French with intensive daily lessons at Berlitz and tried to teach herself to cook using recipes from Gourmet Magazine.

But her passion really took hold at age 37 when she took cooking lessons at the Cordon Bleu. Not satisfied with the lessons for housewives, Julia transferred into the more intensive professional program. As she grew ever more knowledgeable about French cuisine, she supplemented her learning with private lessons and her own research. Eventually she met two Frenchwomen who had started writing a book on French cuisine and who needed an American to assist them with translating the recipes for a US reader. Spearheading the creation of this tome on French cuisine, Julia made it a labour of love spanning many years. After publication in 1961, Julia embarked on a self-structured USA publicity tour that ultimately led to her introduction to tv and "The French Chef".

Why I chose this book:
Being a passionate home chef, I have always been in awe of Julia child. I have vague recollections of watching reruns of "The French Chef" on PBS and seeing the spoofs of her on Saturday Night Live. I also have her cookbooks. And of course, I read "The Julie/Julia Project: 365 Days, 524 Recipes and 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" about the food blogger who nearly loses her sanity cooking every recipe in "Mastering The Art of French Cooking". But it wasn't until I read this book that I truly appreciated the contribution that Julia Child made to the world of the home chef.

Favourite Passage:
"The more I thought about it, the more this project fired my imagination. After all, the lessons embedded in these recipes were a logical extension of the material we used in our classes. I liked to strip everything down to the bones; with a bit of work, I thought this book could do that, too, only on a much more comprehensive scale. I had come to cooking late in life, and knew from firsthand experience how frustrating it could be to try to learn from badly written recipes. I was determined that our cookbook would be clear and informative and accurate, just as our teaching strove to be." (page 144)

Rating: A
This is a delightful book. There were many twists and turns in the story that made for a fascinating read, even for a non-gourmet. I had a whole new appreciation for her success as a chef and a writer. And I felt like I got to know her as a person, shortcomings and all.

Book Review: Madam Campan's Memoirs

If I mention Marie Antoinette in a post, I know that I will attract a lot of readers. She is a fashion icon, a history superstar! Everyone is fascinated by her, including me. I see a book about Marie Antoinette and I want it! But I've learned the hard way that not all such books are worthy of being in my library (or yours for that matter) and that is what this post is about.

Many history books mention Madam Campan's memoirs as a source of their material and so I ordered this book at www.amazon.com. But as soon as I opened the book, I realized it was a sham. The book does not indicate who translated these memoirs not does it list an editor. This is appalling to me because this information is very important for readers. How else can a reader judge the integrity with which these "memoirs" have been handled if no one is willing to stand behind their work and state their name. This book is "published" by IndyPublish.com.

One of the first pages cites this book as being "the historic memoirs of Madam Campan, First Lady in Waiting to the Queen". My friend, Catherine Delors, of Versailles and More, informed me that Madam Campan was NOT first lady in waiting to the Queen but was, in fact, first chambermaid. This is not a trivial mistake!!

Catherine warned me to "Beware of English translations of memoirs of that time. They are either inaccurate, as in this case, or edited in many ways!". She recommends Mercure de France edition of Madam Campan's memoirs (written in French) as being accurate and informative.

I do not recommend buying the English translation of Madam Campan's Memoirs. Sadly, I've come to the conclusion that many publishers (and some bloggers too) are exploiting the public's fascination with Marie Antoinette. Buyer beware is the lesson of the day.

The Architecture of Happiness

Title: The Architecture of Happiness
Author: Alain de Botton
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 2006
Category: Non-fiction
Number of Pages: 280
Price: Paperback Canadian $22.99

What this Book is About:
This book considers how the beauty and design of our surroundings interplay to affect our moods and emotions. We may not always be aware of architecture but we are affected by it.

Why I Chose This Book:
After I read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand in my teens, I wanted to become an architect. I studied architecture but transferred into arts when my illusions about the profession were shattered by reality. But I've always had a great fondness for architecture and when I read a very positive review of this book, I went out to buy a copy.

Favourite Passage:
"The buildings we admire are ultimately those which, in a variety of ways, extol values we think worthwhile -- which refer, that is, whether through their materials, shapes or colours, to such legendarily positive qualities as friendliness, kindness, subtlety, strength and intelligence. Our sense of beauty and our understanding of the nature of a good life are intertwined. We seek associations of peace in our bedrooms, metaphors for generosity and harmony in our chairs, and an air of honesty and forthrightness in our taps. We can be moved by a column that meets a roof with grace, by worn stone steps that hint at wisdom and by a Georgian doorway that demonstrates playfulness and courtesy in its fanlight window." (page 98)

Rating: MUST READ!
This book is both well-written and witty. Using a multitude of photos to support his arguments and convey specific principles of design, Alain de Botton helps the reader understand the importance of our surroundings in shaping our identity. I especially enjoyed his writings on beauty applying Stendhal's motto that "beauty is the promise of happiness". One need not be a fan of architecture to enjoy this perceptive and original book.

While writing my review, I noted that Alain de Botton is also the author of books on Proust (How Proust Can Change Your Life), travel (The Art of Travel), and philosophy (The Consolations of Philosophy). I'll read anything if it is well-written and given his superlative skill at conveying his ideas, I'll be looking for his other titles.

Book Review: The Art of Dress

Have you ever been tempted to steal a library book? If my morals would allow me to do such a thing, this is the book I would pinch (don't worry, it is back on the shelves of the Toronto Public Library).

Title: The Art of Dress, Fashion in England and France, 1750-1820
Author: Aileen Ribeiro
Publisher: Yale University Press, 1995
Category: Non-fiction
Number of Pages: 257
Price: Out of print


What it is about:
"Dress is the most fleeting of the arts, subject to the arbitrary dictates of fashion. It is also, however, the art that relates most closely to our lives, both as a reflection of our self-image, and in the words of Louis XIV, as 'the mirror of history'."

This book covers the history of dress from the point of view of the artist. Since so few garments from the 18th century have survived the ravages of time, much of what we know about fashion comes from painted portraits.

Why I chose this book:
This is one of a few books on 18th Century Fashion available at the Toronto Public Library.


My Favourite Passage:
"The ideal portrait, claimed Goethe in his novel Elective Affinities (1809), revealed the history and character of the sitter. Baudelaire echoed this, stating that a portrait should be like a dramatised biography, demanding 'immense intelligence' from the artist, who also had to be an actor 'whose duty is to adopt any character and any costume'. The fusion of character, likeness and costume (often thought of as irreconcilable elements) was the mark of a great artist, and even then not always easy to achieve with originality and imagination at a time when portraiture enjoyed hitherto unheard-of popularity." (page 6)


Rating: A
This is a scholarly book, dense with information, insightful analysis and beautiful images. If you can find it in a secondhand bookstore and are interested in 18th century fashion, it will be a valuable addition to your library. Caution for Marie Antoinette fans, there are only a few references to her in this book but many of her contemporaries are mentioned.

Book Review: 18th Century Embroidery Techniques

"I would not be a Designer if I did not maintain (and it would not be difficult for me to prove) that Design is the basis and Foundation of Embroidery."
Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin, Designer for King Louis XV, 1770

In the 18th Century, embroidery was an essential decorative element for both men's and women's fashions. Techniques using silk, metal threads, spangles, quilting, and whitework were often all incorporated into a single garment.


Title: 18th Century Embroidery Techniques
Author: Gail Marsh
Publisher: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd., East Sussex, UK, 2006
Number of Pages: 192
Price: US$24.95, Canada $32.95
Category: Non-fiction, instructional


What it is about:
Gail Marsh compiled ten volumes of research when she did a Master of Arts degree on 18th century embroidery techniques (I wish I could do that!). This book is a culmination of that research.

Laid out like an instruction book, Marsh also provides a history of 18th century embroidery tools and techniques with accompanying photos and illustrations.


Why I Chose this Book:
I'd like to incorporate embroidery into my textile art, but I have yet another of mental block on how to get started (seems like I have a few of those LOL). Last summer, while at the Victoria and Albert Museum's giftshop, I purchased a small embroidery kit. I thought I might try it on the plane ride home, but it ended up in my suitcase since embroidery scissors are not allowed in the cabin. And wouldn't my luck be that the embroidery hoop broke in my suitcase...

After seeing Marie Antoinette's dress at the Royal Ontario Museum in the fall of 2008 (see my fashion blog for photos), I was enchanted by the exquisite embroidery on the train of the dress and my desire to learn embroidery returned. I tried to find an embroidery class in Toronto but that was a dead end!

Guess where I'll be learning embroidery? At a workshop in Paris in May. But in the meantime, I really should practice at least some of the basics and hence, I read this book very carefully.

Rating: A

The book is thoughtfully laid out with clear instructions, colour photos and simple line-drawings. The author adds interest and charm to her instructions with quotes from diaries and writings of the period, such as this:

Felix Hezecques, Souvenir d'un Page de la Cour de Louis XVI, circa 1780
"In the morning the King wore a grey coat until it was time for his toilette. Then he put on a cloth suit, often brown, with a steel or silver sword. But on Sundays and ceremonial occassions his suits were of very beautiful materials, embroidered in silks and paillettes, often, as the fashion was then, the velvet coat was entirely covered with little spangles which made it very dazzling." (page 43)

I am embarrassed to say that I have STILL not tried to embroider anything. I'm almost more intimidated than less after reading this book. The workmanship from the 18th century is so exquisite that I just know I'll never measure up.

Nevertheless, this book is a useful resource for anyone interested in historical fashion, costume design, and of course, embroidery.

Secrets of Marie Antoinette

Title: Secrets of Marie Antoinette
Author: Olivier Bernier
Publisher: Doubleday & Company Inc., New York, 1985
Category: Non-fiction, history
Price: Currently out of print
Number of Pages: 326

What it is about:
Bernier presents the translated letters of Marie Antoinette to her mother Marie Theresa, Empress of Austria, covering the period 21 April 1770 to 3 November 1780. Also included are some letters from the Austrian Ambassador, Florimond, comte de Mercy-Argenteau (often called Mercy) and some correspondence from Marie Antoinette's brother the Emperor Joseph II.

The book relies on three sources:
1. The correspondence between Maria Theresa and Marie Antoinette preserved in the Staatsarchiv, Venia (published in its entirety by George Girard, Correspondance entre Marie Therese et Marie Antoinette, Paris 1933).
2. The reports of Mercy, published by Arneth et Geffroy, Correspondance secrete entre Marie Therese et le comte de Mecry-Argenteau, Paris, 1874.
3. The letters written by the Emperor Joseph II to his brother Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany during his visit to Versailles in 1777 from the collection at Staatsarchiv, Vienna.

Why I Chose this book:
All of the books I have read so far are other people's research and analysis of the life of Marie Antoinette. I thought it would be fascinating to read Marie Antoinette's own words in her correspondence with her mother. It is amazing what you can find in your local public library!

Favourite Passage:
Extract from a letter from Marie Theresa to Marie Antoinette, 5 March 17775

"I can't prevent myself raising a point which many gazettes repeat all too often: it is the coiffure you use; they say that from the forehead up it is thirty-six inches high, and with so many feathers and ribbons to adorn it! You know that I always have thought that fashion should be followed moderately, without ever exaggerating them. A young and pretty Queen, who is full of attractions, doesn't need all these follies; on the contrary, the simplicity of your adornment will show you off better and is more suitable to the rank of a Queen...." (page 159)

Rating: A

How rare it is to read direct quotes (albeit translated quotes) from Marie Antoinette's correspondence with her mother. Usually by the time the "facts" are presented in a more current book, they have been distilled down to something else altogether.

It is plain that Marie Theresa was aware of the mistakes in judgment that Marie Antoinette was making in the French court, and yet in spite of her many protestations, her warnings were insufficient to change the course of history. Time and time again she was almost psychic in her predictions of doom for her youngest daughter and yet her warnings went unheeded. This book is fascinating reading if you can find it!

I will be posting extracts of this book on my fashion blog Fashion is My Muse in the coming days.

A Scented Palace, The Secret History of Marie Antoinette's Perfumer

Title: A Scented Palace, The Secret History of Marie Antoinette's Perfumer
Author: Elisabeth de Feydeau
Translator: Jane Lizop
Publisher: I.B. Tauris, London, New York (2006)
Category: Non-fiction, history, biography
Price: US$22 hardcover (www.amazon.com)
Number of Pages: 114 before appendices, 140 including appendices

What it is about:
Jean-Louis Fargeon was the perfumer to Marie Antoinette. Born in 1748, seven years before the birth of the future Queen of France, Jean-Louis was the first-born son in a long line of apothecaries and perfumers. This book follows the trajectory of Jean-Louis' life as he masters the skills of a perfumer, develops his business and serves as perfumer to Marie Antoinette. The history of the French revolution is interwoven into the tale.

My favourite passage:
"Finally the perfumer had to reinforce the depth and perfect the harmony of his preparation. Vanilla would lend a warm and delicious touch, soft and velvety, redolent of Marie Antoinette's childhood and her fondness for Viennese pastries, a gourmet hint of sweetness and gentleness. Cedar and sandalwood would add the note of the wooded lanes of the Trianon. Amber and musk would overlay the entire composition with a sensual, animal fervour, and a pinch of benzoin would add warmth and tenacity to the whole." (page 70)

Why I chose this book:
A good friend/blogging fan noticed that I was researching and writing about Marie Antoinette in the fall and gave me this book for my birthday.

Rating: B
While this book was well-written, I found the volume slim with 114 pages. The footnotes are not extensive and the source of material that this biography is based on is not really clear (other than a mention of Fargeon's papers).

The book was amusing but did not really provide much new information about the time period, with the exception of the passages about the toilette preparations of Marie Antoinette. Nevertheless, I think that it is good read for die-hard Marie Antoinette fans. I simply cannot get enough of this fashion icon.

Book Review: Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution

Title: Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution
Author: Caroline Weber
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2007
Category: Non-fiction, history
Price: US $17, Canada $17.75 paperback

What it is about:
In Queen of Fashion, the author examines how the Marie Antoinette's choices of clothing and accessories became instruments of politics and power during the 18th century. In a frock by frock analysis, the author argues that the sartorial choices of the Queen of France played an instrumental part in determining her fate and the sequence of events that led to the revolution.

Favourite Passage:
"Among the nobility and moneyed bourgeoisie, even those women who found such innovations shocking in the King's wife could not resist following her lead. "By one of those contradictions that are more common in France than anywhere else," wrote a contemporary observer, "even as the people were criticizing the Queen for her outfits, they continued frenetically to imitate her. Every woman wanted to have the same deshabille, the same bonnet, that they had seen her wear." Propelled to notoriety by the ingenuity of designers to who the public came to refer as her "ministry of fashion," Marie Antoinette established herself as a force to be reckoned with -- as a queen who commanded as much attention as the most dazzling king or mistress, and whose imposing stature had nothing to do with her maternal prospects." (page 5)

Why I Chose this Book:
In the fall of 2008, the Royal Ontario Museum showcased a gown that may have been worn by Marie Antoinette (see my fashion blog: http://fashionismymuse.blogspot.com postings for October 2008 to see photos of the gown). As well, the ROM invited Carolyn Weber to give a talk about this book and in anticipation of that, I read it. And am I ever glad that I did! This book led me into deeper research into Marie Antoinette, 18th century fashion and the history of the French revolution and also inspired my artwork relating to that era.

Even though I previously reviewed this book on my fashion blog, I decided to include it here as well because this brilliant book is a must read for both fashion and history buffs.

Rating: A plus
Carolyn Weber is a skillful writer and weaves a thoughtful and well-researched argument about the interplay of fashion and politics. Even though Ms. Weber is an academic (associate professor of French and Comparative Literature at Barnard College), her prose is elegant, engaging and to the point. I even read the footnotes which contain a wealth of information. This book is an absolute delight to read.