Fashion sphere was a ‘milk cow’ for Hasselt since beginning of the 14th century. The city was renewed for its high quality and well-done clothes. By 15th century each fifth citizen earned his daily bread by working in the cloth industry.

In memory of its glorious past Hasselt has a museum of fashion which organizes permanent exhibitions. The Fashion Museum Hasselt was opened in 1988 in the old building with a long history. In different times there were situated hospital, prison and nuns’ house. Nowadays the collection of the Museum contains over 14.000 pieces. During the next few years the Museum plans to show all its treasures through an annual exhibitions, entitled ‘Collection #’.

Present Collection #1 displays chronological changes of western fashion history from 1750 until today. Puffed and senseless crinolines change into skirts with impressive tournures and later silhouettes completely change and turn into straight lines of “Charleston” dresses.

The major part of the collection presents 20-30s of the 20th century. Restraint and impassivity of military time dresses and roistering and ‘joie de vivre’ of post-war period clothes – beautiful time when fashion was so expressive and significant!

Although the idea of exhibition is interesting and contains a big potential, its realization is not perfect in fact. So, if you’re completely unaware about history of fashion you probably will enjoy this exhibition. Otherwise it’s a waste of time on this show for unsophisticated.

Well, you will see that this dress belongs to this epoch but it wouldn’t make you admire. Everything is so predictable and usual that even impressive dresses by  Paul Poiret and an imposive  sundress with Andy Warhol’s Campbell soup print mislay in the crowd. Previous exhibition of unusual and weird shoes definitely was more successful.

Although you can entertain your granny inviting her to the Museum – all these lace, gloves and cute hats wouldn’t leave her cold for sure!

Author: Daria Ermushkina

Sources:

http://www.modemuseumhasselt.be

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