All it took was one look for us to fall in love with Isabelle de Borchgrave’s immaculate construction of period paper costumes. Her exhibition earlier in the year at the Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco was a huge success and subsequently flew throughout the blogosphere. If you weren’t able to attend in person, you can take a gander at the incredible catalogue, Pulp Fashion, as it too is a gem.
In the book, author Jill D’Alessandro contextualizes de Borchgrave’s work against the rich tapestry of art and couture history, examining how the artist brings long-lost designs to life through intricate tailoring, crumpling, braiding, pleating and painting paper. Full-color illustrations of her historically inspired works reveal the painstaking detail that goes into each piece and the whimsical magic that transforms a simple material into the most luxurious of garments. Broad in its appeal, this lovely volume will fascinate anyone interested in fashion, costume history, paper, and design.
