FRAGONARD – Musée de la Mode et du Costume
Location: Arles, France
Status: Open

Beautifully restored in keeping with its architectural and historic origins, the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy has now regained its original 17th and 18th-century volumes. Architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty from Studio KO, whose claims to fame include the Yves Saint Laurent museum in Marrakech, are the talents behind the magnificent refurbishment work and museum layout. Marrying history and contemporary flair to perfection, the result promises to honour the fashion and costume collections displayed there, with some pieces dating back as far as the 17th century.

Hélène Costa grew up in Cannes, near Forville market in the historic heart of the city. During the war, she spent time with members of the Académie Provençale, dedicated to preserving and upholding Provençal traditions. Today, they continue to uphold their mother’s memory by enriching the collection with new acquisitions every year. The oeuvre benefits from a vast and varied iconography too, with swatch books and rare ancient jewellery completing the museum’s scientific objective.

Born in 1925, Magali Pascal was honored with the title of Knight of Arts and Literature in 2010, in recognition of her work as a historian and researcher. She is the author of three reference works and, along with her daughter Odile, a costume and jewellery historian and tenth Queen of Arles, compiled one of the world’s largest historic fashion collections. Thanks to their research, mother and daughter have gifted the city of Arles, Provence and beyond a fascinating insight into Arlesian fashion since the 17th century. A close friend of the Costa sisters, Odile Pascal, is deeply committed to her role as part of the museum project’s scientific committee.

Located at 16 Rue de la Calade in Arles, the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy stands as a testament to the architectural legacy of Provence’s gentry. The family, whose name remains tied to the property, has contributed many illustrious figures to the city. The facade offers a striking example of classical architecture, very similar to that of the town hall erected a few decades earlier. With a footprint of around 300 m², the property features three stories, a central courtyard and former stables. It was purchased by Jean-François de Bouchaud de Bussy, the king’s counsel in Arles, in 1723.

The ambitious restoration work on this historic building and its transformation into a museum unfolded over several years. A contemporary staircase, designed by Studio KO, was installed behind the facade, which was also entirely and meticulously restored. The museum’s atmosphere was crafted after extensive research into the textures and colors of Provence in bygone days. Set against a backdrop of six centuries of architectural history offered by the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy, the layout is dotted with numerous works of art. The museography designed by Studio KO plays on the various exhibition spaces, as well as the history of the building itself.

In 1997, when the Fragonard Musée Provençal du Costume et du Bijou (Provençal Costume & Jewelry Museum) opened in Grasse, Hélène Costa and her daughters called on the expertise of Arles-based collectors Magali Pascal and her daughter Odile. The two families became very close at the time. Hélène Costa, who lived in western Provence, and Magali Pascal, who was right over on the eastern side, were both avid collectors of 18th and 19th-century local fashions.

Hélène curated a collection dominated by beauty that was made for sharing. She was obsessed with finding unadulterated dyes and prints, as well as rare designs, while Magali’s quest was to bring together items scattered far and wide over the years, in the aim of recreating the history of the women of Arles, whatever their origins. From the very first room, the exhibition invites visitors to learn how articles comprising a collection start out as isolated objects, before striking up a dialogue with the items around them. The objects are examined through multiple lenses, and when all the necessary factors align, they can, sometimes, provide us with a snapshot of fashion at a given moment in time – a unique feature of these two collections, now united forever.

Maison Fragonard has commissioned a unique work by artist Charles Fréger for the future Fashion & Costume Museum. Staging nine 21st-century women dressed in costume, performing the traditional hair and dressing rituals of Arles, Fréger’s video installation explores the birth of an unattainable myth. The use of backlighting emphasises the mythical aura that sprang up around the Arlésienne- the elusive talk of the town – from the 19th century, unveiling to the public the mysterious dressing rituals handed down through generations by the women of Arles. Captivating from start to finish, the work portrays the choreographed ballet of Arlesian women busily readying themselves one by one, through the seasons.

Blurring the lines between real and imaginary, this internationally renowned artist crisscrosses the globe, crafting flamboyant portraits that capture his subjects in their home environment and explore how archetypal figures are created. Following on from his forays to Brittany, Alsace and the Basque Country, Charles Fréger’s meticulous study of traditional French costumes and communities with specific identities continues with this début collaboration focusing on Provence and its iconic Arlésiennes.

more. www.musee-mode-costume.fragonard.com