This weekend marks the annual gay pride boat parade in Amsterdam. But if you’re not up for all the drag queens and extravaganza, here’s a great alternative which is in sheer contrast: visit the Couture in Colour exhibition in the Momu fashion museum in Antwerp. The exhibition showcases silks and prints from the Abraham archives with work from a.o. Givenchy, Dior and Balenciaga. Abraham is a Swiss silk fabric producer.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the famous couturiers Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Cristóbal Balenciaga all worked together with the Swiss firm, Abraham, for their exclusive fabrics. This company was specialized in printing silks. Abraham was forced to close its doors in 2002, but left an impressive collection of sample books, couture photographs and textiles: the Abraham archives.
The exhibition, Silks & prints from the Abraham archive – Couture in Colour, tells both the story of the Abraham company and that of European couture, art and luxury throughout the 20th century. It focuses on the colourful textile prints created by the Abraham firm and used in couture silhouettes by Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga. Contemporary designers, including Dries Van Noten, Diane Von Furstenberg and Peter Pilotto, were invited to experiment with Abraham prints.
The exhibition runs till August 11, 2013. For more information visit the website.
1 thought on “Weekendtip: Visit Couture in Colour in the MoMu Antwerp”