The art of costume in Russia

The art of costume in Russia

This book is based on the material of a splendid collection of costumes owned by the Department of the History of Russian Culture at the Hermitage, St. Petersburg. It contains several thousand items and is one of the richest in the world. The book presents formal, ballroom, and home dresses made by skilled Russian and foreign dressmakers, embroiderers, and lace-makers, including works of such fashion houses as those of Worth, Doeuillet, Doucet, Paul Poiret, Nadezhda Lamanova, and Mme Olga, which enjoyed worldwide popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A distinctive period atmosphere is given to the dress proper by the use of accessories, such as shawls, fans, and others, as well as by the head-dresses and footwear, represented by some of the most remarkable specimens in the collection. The edition is illustrated with over 50 portraits by Russian painters, presenting models in period clothes. Introduced and compiled by Tamara Korshunova, Research Assistant, Keeper of Textiles and Costumes at the Hermitage.