When someone asks you what springs to mind mentioning luxury and fashion, the answer could be French “haute couture” brands such as Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jean-Paul Gaultier or Givenchy. Luxury represents pomp, glamour, and embodies a blend of wealth and aestheticism. French luxury is the marriage between elegance and excellence, influenced with a touch of originality. The place that symbolizes luxury in Paris at the best, is most certainly the Golden Triangle; located within the avenues of Montaigne, Champs-Élysées and George V.
The influence of French haute couture has of course reached Thailand. On the left side of the photograph we can admire the orange dress called “Evening Dress” created by Pierre Balmain in 1969 for Queen Sirikit of Thailand. This masterpiece can be found in the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles in Bangkok.
The embroidery that François Lesage designed for the bodice and sleeves of the dress forms a puzzle of colorful irregular pieces flanked by bright sequins and beads. From a distance, the effect is that of stained glass, those panels made of pieces of glass, usually colored, are assembled and fit to form a decoration.
The collaboration between the great French dressmaker and the Queen of Thailand lasted 22 years.
Nicolas IORDACHE, Tle A