Charleston Couture

Event Details

The Charleston Museum presents an original exhibition, Charleston Couture, from March 10 through November 4, 2012 in its Historic Textiles Gallery. The exhibit will showcase over fifty fine garments and accessories from the 1770s to the 1970s. Charleston Couture will include true haute couture garments brought back by privileged Lowcountry residents from their travels, as well as high style pieces made by local dressmakers. Also to be presented are formal fashions worn by notable Charlestonians, as well as elegant ready-to-wear evening wear sold in fashionable Charleston stores. For more information on Charleston Couture, photo gallery and related programs, visit http://www.charlestonmuseum.org/exhibits-charleston-couture.

Charleston Couture features haute couture garments designed by the likes of Charles Frederick Worth and Mariano Fortuny. Haute couture highlights include several Worth pieces as well as one of two Fortuny pleated silk Delphos dresses (pictured top) from the collection and an evening coat.

Garments worn by notable Charlestonians, such as an elegant 18th century gown from the Middleton family (pictured above), a luxurious dress of Chinese silk damask worn by Josephine Manigault in 1886 and a 20th century cocktail dress (pictured right) worn by Margaret Middleton Rivers will be on display.

Stunning and stylish menswear will be well-represented by Thomas Pinckney's 1790s purple embroidered velvet court suit (pictured left) and Giovanni Sottile's tailcoat from Palermo, Italy. Formal menswear is rounded out by heavily embellished 19th century vests worn by Louis Manigault and others, as well as a 1960 dinner jacket made for Congressman Mendel Rivers in Hong Kong.