As fragile as a masterpiece, each of the dresses will have required up to three days of modeling to achieve such perfection.

©MuseePP-ParisMusees-GautierDeblonde

This is the exhibition not to be missed before the start of the academic year. “Worth: Inventing Haute Couture” brings to life the fascinating history of this fashion house, which remained in the hands of the same family for nearly a century. At its helm, Charles Frederic Worth, the visionary patriarch, and his descendants laid the foundations of haute couture as we know it today . Through a chronological journey, from the Second Empire to the Roaring Twenties, the exhibition retraces this family saga in a rapidly changing France. More than 400 pieces—sumptuous dresses, accessories, objets d'art, paintings, and drawings—compose a rich and vibrant display. This retrospective, the result of a collaboration with the Palais Galliera, was made possible thanks to exceptional loans from its collections, under the direction of its chief curator, Sophie Grossiord, in association with Marine Kisiel, co-curator. A unique opportunity to rediscover the House of Worth, unjustly forgotten, but whose influence still resonates in contemporary fashion . An insightful visit guided by Raphaële Martin-Pigalle, chief curator at the Petit Palais and also co-curator.

Until September 7th, www.petitpalais.paris.fr

Worth, father of haute couture

Portrait of Charles Frederick Worth by Émile Friant dated 1893

"The young Englishman Charles Frederick Worth arrived in Paris in 1846. Initially destined for a career in printing, which held little appeal for him, he changed course by settling in Paris, already the capital of women's fashion. He began working as a clerk at Gagelin, a " novelty store " that offered everything needed to complete an outfit (jackets, braid, trimmings). There he met his future wife, Marie Vernet, a saleswoman who would become his muse and his first ambassador. Very quickly, Worth distinguished himself through his inventiveness and ambition. Soon feeling constrained by this overly traditional environment, he founded his own fashion house a few years later with the Swede Otto Bobergh. One of his revolutionary ideas perfectly encapsulates his vision: he proposed reversing the prevailing logic of commerce. " Why, instead of selling fabric to make dresses, shouldn't we offer dresses to sell fabric? " A radical break in the way fashion was conceived." This was Worth's great revolution: he bought the fabrics himself, designed and made the dresses, and then offered them directly to his clients. This reversal of perspective was a turning point: women now abandoned their dressmakers, and the designs created by the couturier became the standard. It is thus said that Charles Frederick Worth invented haute couture, also establishing the figure of the great couturier as we know it today. He transformed his personality into a brand, signing his creations like an artist—an unprecedented gesture at the time—and imposing his own aesthetic through photographs of his models. At the end of the 19th century, the fashion house innovated by inventing fashion shows with live models. It also developed the concept of seasonality with spring, summer, autumn, and winter collections, in order to address the need to date and protect designs against the proliferation of counterfeits. To protect the authorship of his creations, like many fashion houses, he finally developed the practice of registering designs, comparable to filing a patent.

New era, new silhouette

A bustle dress design that Worth interprets brilliantly

"The Second Empire collapsed in 1870, brought down by the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. Recognizing the changing times, Otto Bobergh returned to Sweden, and the House of Worth became that of Charles Frederick. Despite the fall of the imperial court, for which he was the official supplier, Worth managed to maintain its position and opened itself to a new clientele, notably the flourishing market of wealthy American women. His perfect command of English allowed him to win over this new elite. Worth also relied on the strong ties he had already forged with other European courts: for example, he designed the coronation gown for Empress Sissi as Queen of Hungary in 1867. Beyond the political upheavals, the House's success remained undisputed. While the Second Empire was the reign of the crinoline, the female silhouette evolved radically. The bustle dress appeared, relegating volume to the back of the garment." This transformation is accompanied by a style nicknamed " upholstery ," in reference to the furnishing fabrics used: velvet, brocade, fringes, braids, and trimmings. Fantasy is expressed in the profusion of details. Dresses, curtains, sofas… everything seems to echo each other in the same abundant decorative universe, where dressing becomes a total work of art.

The Worth myth through the generations

The exceptional “lily dress” worn by Countess Greffulhe

“Charles Frederick died in 1895, but the transition was seamless: his sons were already working for the house. This is where the myth took root, giving the impression of a figure who had lived through 150 years, when in reality, several generations would carry on his work and perpetuate the spirit of the house. One of the display cases illustrating this shift features Countess Greffulhe, a prominent figure of the late 19th century, several of whose dress designs are preserved at the Palais Galliera. A patron of the arts, an artist, and a philanthropist, she was, according to Proust, “ the most beautiful woman in Paris ” and inspired his character of the Duchess of Guermantes. An icon of her time, she was dressed by Worth, who notably created for her the famous evening gown known as the “ Lily Dress ” (circa 1896).” With its large white lilies contrasting against the black velvet, this dress, the source of countless poems and literary digressions, underwent meticulous restoration, documented in a short film by journalist Loïc Prigent (available online). This colossal, behind-the-scenes work deserved to be brought to light: each dress requires one to three days of mannequin work, and the exhibition features nearly 80! This gives some idea of ​​the time required for its assembly! Before its restoration, the " lily " dress was X-rayed to reveal its internal construction, providing invaluable information for preserving its authenticity. Despite the care taken, it remains so fragile that it can now only be displayed flat.

An avant-garde workshop

The famous "tea-gown", a perfect illustration of a fashion that is learning to come in several colors

"The House of Worth is distinguished by its exemplary organization: several workshops, each with diverse expertise, work in parallel on the same dress. This extremely well-thought-out system allows for the production of unique pieces, which are then offered to clients, sometimes in different colors. This is particularly true of this elegant tea gown belonging to Countess Greffulhe, made from a sumptuous green and navy moiré fabric. The tea gown was a dress intended for receiving guests at home around five o'clock, with an innovative cut for the time: the princess line, with no seam at the waist. The pattern for this dress also existed in yellow and green, shown here in a fabric by Tassinari and Chatel. This ability to produce the same design in several colors reflects a remarkably efficient production system, where each workshop performs a precise and orderly task. This organization made it possible to respond to urgent orders, as evidenced by several accounts of clients arriving at the workshop with nothing to wear for a ball that very evening." According to Jean-Philippe Worth's memoirs, admittedly embellished to enhance the family legend, the house never refused an order, capable of creating or shipping a dress in record time. It was partly this system of specialized workshops that made Worth successful and laid the foundations of haute couture.

Fashion at the heart of creation

Famous dancer Ida Rubinstein looks stunning in a Worth dress

"The beginning of the 20th century marked a revival for the house thanks to the introduction of new materials, such as knitwear and jersey. These innovations demonstrate the house's ability to evolve with the times, adapting to modern materials, changing tastes, and new silhouettes. This portrait, dating from 1913, depicts Ida Rubinstein, the famous dancer who arrived in Paris in 1909. This painting, signed by Antonio de La Gandara, aptly illustrates the role of this artist, who often accompanied his clients to the couturiers to choose the most flattering outfit with them. His model here wears an exceptional dress created for the dress rehearsal of Gabriele D'Annunzio's ' Honeysuckle .'" This image reveals the full interaction between literature, ballet, opera, painting, and fashion design, illustrating the intellectual ferment of the 1910s. As an aside, Ida Rubinstein was known for her exacting standards: it is said that she would ask dressmakers to destroy any leftover fabric to ensure she would never see another woman wearing the same dress as her at a party.

The “collabs” of art

A lacquer screen by Jean Dunand, close to Jean-Charles Worth, whose creative spirit would infuse the house's collections

“The 20s marked the flowering of Art Deco, and the Worth house was fully in line with this modernity. It was now run by the third generation of Worth designers, particularly Jean-Charles, who gave it new impetus—in 1928, he was the first French couturier to grace the cover of Time Magazine—and multiplied artistic collaborations, as evidenced by the one initiated with Jean Dunand. A prolific artist, Dunand was then best known for his decorative lacquer panels. Representative of the achievements of the 1920s and 1930s, and inspired by the Far East, the coppersmith imagined a fish motif that soon appeared in the decorative arts, in Worth's designs for Princess Murat, and even in accessories. At the heart of the Roaring Twenties, Jean-Charles Worth perpetuated the house's heyday and, like his ancestors, remained infinitely close to many contemporary designers, always promoting the interaction between fashion and the arts and constantly managing to renew the brand's image.

From the workshop to the bottle

And the fashion house became a perfume house...

Finally, like any great fashion house, Worth embarked on the adventure of perfume, following the path laid by Paul Poiret in 1911, then by Gabrielle Chanel in 1921. The story begins with the meeting of three men: Maurice Blanchet, perfumer and founder of the Cité des Parfums; René Lalique, master glassmaker; and the House of Worth, initially driven by Jean-Philippe Worth. The project truly came to fruition under the third generation, with Jean-Charles Worth. The house's first perfume, " Dans la nuit ," was launched in 1924, followed by a series of olfactory creations, the greatest success of which remains " Je reviens ," launched between 1929 and 1932 and released in several variations. This iconic fragrance has been recreated thanks to the Osmothèque, the International Perfume Conservatory in Versailles, which preserved its formula. The names of the perfumes demonstrate remarkable creativity and modernity: " Sans adieu " (Without Farewell), " Renaissance ", " Imprudence " (Recklessness), " Requête " (Request), " Sans toi" ( Without You )...