Historic fashion clothing and accessoires of the Victorian Era, 1830´s to 1900´s, were exposed in Vilnius. It is from the collection of Alexandre Vassiliev. The exhibition was large, very variated, informative and beautiful.

The display comprises about 50 garments and numerious accessoires from a vast geographic area, England, France, Italy, Germany, Russia and Austro-Hungary. For the first time in Lithuania it is possible to enjoy an authentic collection of womens clothing, which characterizes the fashion and the cultural environment of people living during the reign of  Queen Victoria (1837-1901). More than 100 accessories are also exposed  including corsets, hats, parasolles, umbrellas, fans, purses, lorgnets, which has been used daily. From famous female Parisian Haute Couture  fashion houses such as Worth, Doucet and Paquin models are also shown, together with a collection of male fashion details, vests, ties, cigarette cases, ballcard invitations.

From the period 1850-1860 we can admire the ball gowns and taffeta crinolines, which characterised that periode, ball gowns with trains and tournure gowns for leisure strolls in parks.

At the exhibition we can enjoy the victorious advent of Art Nouveau in the last decade of the 19th century, which was greatly influenced by the artistic

movement of japonisme.  As we to day after the OL in China again are influenced in the fashion from Asian artistic details and ideas. In the exhibiton we enjoy fashionable gowns decorated with floral prints, favouring hortensias, poppies and irises. In addition to that this trend was consequently in fashion it too was used in other fields of decorative arts of the Art Nouveau, as for exemple building and architecture, and in details in various accessoires.

The atmosphaere of the exhibiton is being fullfilled through the suplement of large size photo copies in vintage style, oil paintings and watercolours of women wearing dresses from the same periodes. Still being background it all together create around the special atmosphaere of fashion and life of the time.

Alexandre Vassiliev has been collecting this extremely rich collection through 30 years. It contents more than 10 000 fashion garments and accessories.  The collection is constantly being supplemented with new donations and acquisitions.  Parts of the collection has been exposed in many countries of the world. at museums of decorative art and fashion
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It has indeed been a pleasure to visit it.

After we enjoyed the exhibition, it has been moved to another place in Vilnius, The Old Arsenal, where it is still exposed:

 

Museum of Apllied Art, Vilnius, – The Old Arsenal: EXHIBITION “FASHION OF THE VICTORIAN ERA“, 1830–1900. FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALEXANDRE VASSILIEV

The particular exhibition is a unique project of high artistic and cultural significance. It is for the first time in Lithuania that we have the rare opportunity to showcase authentic collection of women’s clothing, which characterizes the cultural environment and fashion of people living during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). The display comprises about 50 garments and numerous accessories worn by the people mapping a vast geographic area: the territories of England, France, Italy, Germany and Austro-Hungary, moreover it showcases clothing of different styles, beginning with Romanticism up to Art Nouveau. The display also comprises more than 100 accessories including fans, parasols and umbrellas, hats, jewellery, purses, vests, corsets, lorgnettes and numerous other kinds of fashion articles which we have discarded from our daily usage times ago dooming them to complete oblivion.

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The visitors can admire such rarities as stocking bands, dance cards, hair combs, purses and cigarette cases. Haute Couture clothing manufactured by the most prominent fashion houses such as Parisian Worth (founded in 1857) and Doucet and Paquin also are on show.

Of special interest are the ball gowns and taffeta crinolines characterising the period from 1850 to 1860, tournure gowns for leisurely strolls in parks and ball gowns with trains.

The last decade of the 19th century witnessed the victorious advent of Art Nouveau, which was greatly influenced by the artistic movement of japonisme. Fabrics dyed in bright and intense aniline colours gave way to those of soft pastel shades and transparent light colours. Fashionable gowns were decorated with floral prints, especially favouring the design of irises, poppies and hortensias. This trend was consequently in fashion also in other fields of decorative arts of the 1890s to 1900s and can be identified through such fashionable accessories as fans, embroideries and jewellery.

The exhibition is supplemented with large size vintage photo copies, also oil paintings and watercolours – predominantly portraits of the 2nd half of the 19th century, selected by Alexandre Vassiliev from his vast fashion collection of the 1850s to 1900s. Being in background, they altogether create a very special atmosphere dealing with life and fashion of the time.

 

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Alexandre Vassiliev’s collection,

which is extremely rich in all kinds of fashion articles, is located in Paris and it took him 30 years to assemble it. In the course of these years it has travelled extensively and has been exhibited in many countries of the world. Prior to Vilnius the exhibitions have been held in Riga, Paris, London, Brussels, Istanbul, Moscow, Sidney, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Santiago, and as a rule the venues are the museums of decorative art and fashion, as well as the museums of Art Institutes.

Alexandre Vassiliev’s collection counts about 10 000 fashion garments and accessories beginning with the 18th century up to the 21st century. The collection is constantly being supplemented with new donations and acquisitions from auctions and antique shops.