The Moscow Kremlin Museums introduce an exhibition “Elegance and Splendour of Art Deco. Kyoto Costume Institute, Jewelry Houses Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels” which will open on September 30, 2016. It will be the first time when the collection of women’s clothing by haute couture European houses of the Art Deco period from Kyoto Costume Institute (Japan) will be demonstrated in Russia. Moreover, visitors will have a chance to see jewels of 1910s – 1930s created by outstanding jewelry houses, together with original designs and photographs from their archives.

The Moscow Kremlin Museums refer to the theme of Art Deco as a unique artistic and socio-cultural phenomenon of the 20^th century: this style of bright creative imagination, inspired by European classics and modernism, culture of ancient civilizations, national traditions and rapid technological progress, influenced all art forms in 1920–1930-s, and remains relevant nowadays.  

During the Art Deco period, social and cultural role of a woman becomes more significant, vivid and dynamic. Designs of ladies’ costumes were changing and becoming looser; women started to make short haircuts, apply make-up, and smoke, which inevitably affected the design of jewelry and the appearance of new types of fine accessories.

An impressive display which will reflect the ideals of beauty of the day will be held at the One-Pillar Chamber of the Patriarch Palace. On display will be samples of women’s wear from Kyoto Costume Institute, considerable part of which was restored specially for this project and will leave Japan and Kyoto Costume Institute for the first time. Among the exhibits – evening dresses and manteau, dancing and cocktail outfits, as well as “robe de style” – a special kind of gala dress which appears in the women’s wardrobe in the Art Deco period.

Kyoto Costume Institute is one of the four world best fashion museums and possesses the rarest collection of women’s dresses and accessorizes by outstanding European firms and designers of the first third of the 20^th century. Among them are Chanel, Worth, Poiret, Lucille, Paken, Callot sisters, Lanvan, Boue sisters, Fortuny, etc.  

These were the fashion houses which introduced a new contemporary art movement in creation of costumes in the beginning of the 20^th century, and which defined its future development up until today.  

At the “Elegance and Splendour of Art Deco. Kyoto Costume Institute, Jewelry Houses Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels” exhibition, visitors will see how an epoch combines different kinds of decorative art. For the first time, clothes and jewels as a single ensemble were introduced by Louis Cartier and Jeanne Lanvinat the “Elegance” pavilion during the exhibition in Paris in 1925 – Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes – which later gave the name to the Art Deco style. The same manner of display was chosen by the Moscow Kremlin Museums – elegant dresses at the exhibition will be accompanied by fancy and luxurious jewels by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry houses.

119 exhibits from Kyoto Costume Institute as well as jewelry artworks by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpel and original designs and photographs from Cartier Archives will be displayed at the One Pillar Chamber of the Patriarch Palace and the exhibition hall of the Assumption Belfry. Visitors will see the jewels made in 1910–1930s – the first and very rare artworks, as well as unique extravagant jewels of a later period.

Exhibition period: September 30, 2016 – January 11, 2017.