En Vogue! 18th-century fashions from France and the Netherlands
10 September – 4 December 2005 Gemeentemuseum Den Haag www.gemeentemuseum.nl

fig.: Man’s waistcoat
brocaded silk with gold thread, woven motifs based on a design by Anna Maria Garthwaite, 1747
Collection Musée Galliera, Paris
Photo : Karin Maucotel

Not only role models like Marie-Antoinette or Princess Wilhemina made "fashion". Some trends come from the importers of fabrics: the Dutch East India Company was importing a multitude of splendid fabrics from around the world, even from Japan. A specifically Dutch fashion was born: the ‘Japonse rok’ (lit. Japanese gown), a loose gown made of beautifully painted cotton (chintz) or silk damask and worn by men in informal situations. The garment was derived from Japanese kimonos which reached the Netherlands as gifts from the Japanese Shogun, who controlled foreign trade with Japan (including that of the Netherlands). more culture>>>