Paying homage to two centuries of Leavers lace

TWO centuries of fashion goes on display at a new exhibition paying tribute to the Leavers lace design.

The exhibition, titled “The Lace Review,” puts 14 exquisite sets of lace costumes on show. Each set was expertly made by the last 14 Leavers lace manufactures still operating in the Calais and Caudry regions.

The costumes feature technical specificities, elegance and creative styles synonymous with Leavers lace, an essential material in the fields of fashion and lingerie.

Each of the 14 sets presents a different feminine personality, from the trademark style of Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, as well as Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung.

Renowned French video artist Pierrick Sorin made an optical theater for the exhibition featuring actress Anna Mouglalis, who plays the role of a model and embodies the 14 icons of the exhibition.

Sorin’s audio-visual work projects holographic figures to appear on a human scale. In reality, the characters’ images are projected onto a simple video screen that the audience cannot see. For example, the actress in the video newly interprets Cheung’s classic image in Wong Kar-wai’s movie “In the Mood for Love” and Monroe’s famous image wearing a white dress in the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch.”

Since its invention more than 200 years ago, the technique of weaving lace combines elegance, engineering and creativity.

Following the Shanghai stop, the exhibition will tour in Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow and other cities in the world.

Date: Through April 9, 10am-6pm Tel: 6327-9900

Venue: MoCA Shanghai

Address: Gate 7, People's Park, 231 Nanjing Rd W.