The exhibition “Déboutonnez la mode!” is the opportunity to unveil a unique collection, acquired in 2012, of over 3,000 buttons, dated from the 18th to the 20th century, that has received the status of implementation of major financial interest by the Advisory Committee on National Treasures. These pieces, even though small in size, are true works of art for the preciousness of the materials and techniques in which they are manifactured. Made by craftsmen from various disciplines, passementiers, embroiderers, goldsmiths, glass-makers, potters or paruriers, these buttons crystallize themself the memory and the evolution of a certain “savoir-faire”. They have also attracted the interest of many artists: painters, sculptors and famous jewelry designers created unique designs for different fashion houses.

The study of the use of buttons allows another approach to fashion history. We can discover how each designer turned it into a fashion accessory. More importantly, the exhibition reveals for the first time how each button is used to emphatisize, structure and draw a silhouette.

The exhibition is an opportunity to view this extraordinary collection with a selection of more than 100 apparel and accessories for men and women in a setting designed by the scenographer Eric Benqué.
For more information, please visit Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

Photo: Courrèges, collection Couture Fashion, spring-summer 1970  © Patrick Sauteret