News Coverage:

In Royal Fashion: A ‘What If’ Scenario
By: Mari Davis
Photo below: A mannequin dressed in paper in Marie-Antoinette fashion
Photo by Tom Massey

DALLAS, Jun 14, 2004/ FW/ --- During the first week of June, AP reported that “French royalists staged a pageant-filled funeral for a tiny, rock-hard relic they hailed as the heart cut from Louis XVII, who died at age 10 in a filthy revolutionary prison.”

While reading the news item, the thing that caught my eye was “a faction of royalists — who want to turn back the clock and restore the monarchy…” and “Duke of Anjou, Louis-Alphonse de Bourbon, one of several pretenders to the French throne…”

Visiting Paris 4 times a year to attend the fashion shows, the possible restoration of the French monarchy had been the subject of one of my tête-à-têtes with friends.

And here, I have to confess my ignorance on French politics and what the general French population thinks of that movement. Our discussion was theoretical, leaning on the fashion side; after all, we are fashion journalists.

History had not been kind to Marie-Antoinette, the mother of Louis XVII. A 12th grader can quote, “Let them eat cake,” as Marie-Antoinette’s famous last words, said during the bread riots in France.

Yet, as a fashion editor, I also know that Marie-Antoinette has a lot of contributions to fashion. And of the least known is that the “fashion dolls,” an item used to disseminate fashion during the 1700s was the progenitor of the mannequin. Because of Marie-Antoinette’s preoccupation with fashion, the fashion dolls, which were usually about 18 inches tall, sometimes came life-size and it eventually became the modern mannequin.

Then there was Marie Antoinette’s court, renowned for their elegance and beautiful clothes. During the time of Louis XVI, everyone in the palace were well dressed judging by historical accounts.

With that in mind, as fashion journalists, it was very easy for us to imagine a modern French royalty with all the pageantry. So, we came out with a “what if” scenario.

There is no doubt that the French has a flair for fashion. If geneticists can identify a “fashion gene,” chances are, they will find it among the French.

So, imagine a modern-day French royalty being dressed by Jean-Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix for their formal ball gowns. And that’s just talking of haute couture.

For day dresses, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and John Galliano at Christian Dior will be busy. Hermès can take care of their riding habits while Alber Elbaz at Lanvin can supply them with their winter and spring coats.

In short, a modern-day French royalty will never be able to say… “But I don’t have anything to wear!”

It was very easy for us to allow our imagination to run wild with all the fashion items a French royal can wear. Yet, the truth of the matter is, none of my friends, including myself have any opinion on the matter.

France is a democracy and the French has to decide whether they want a monarchy back. And in the end, it will be the voice of the French people that will be heard.