A recent exhibition at the Petit Palais, Worth – Inventer la Haute Couture, is an homage to the man who is often credited as being the ‘first’ Couturier as we understand them today: Charles Frederick Worth. Originally from England, he managed to capture the French spirit of couture and imbue the title with an artistic slant. Much admired across Europe, he also had a large fanbase in the United States, where old money and nouveau riche alike spent thousands on original Worth creations.
For this exhibition, Piper dove into the archives of American newspapers, magazines, and journals from the 1870s through to the 1920s, providing curators with a more complete grasp of Worth’s influence across the Atlantic. Culling articles from publications like Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and more, Piper discovered how the French maison was perceived by Americans and how his gowns became markers of status across the United States. In fact, many of his most famous and well-known gowns today were created for American clients whose wardrobes were chronicled in the media, down to the most minute of details. Framing Worth’s legacy from an American standpoint was vital in illustrating his influence on an international scale.