Anjas’ Theme Of The Week: Paper art week 5: Beautiful paper dresses by Isabelle de Borchgrave

Beautiful paper dresses by Isabelle de Borchgrave

Éleonore De Tolede, 1522-1562 - Isabelle de Borchgrave

Maria de’ Medici 1955 - Isabelle de Borchgrave

Imagine: filmy lens paper painted to look like lace, so expertly rendered that you have to take a second and third look to be sure it was not made from the finest cotton threads … paper convincingly painted to mimic linen, silk, embroidery, damask … buttons, jewelry, feathers, edgings, ribbons, even “straw” hats … all made from exquisitely manipulated paper.

Isabelle even realized a paper coat for The Queen Fabiola of Belgium, in 2004. The queen wore it on a special occasion that year.

Maria de’ Medici 1955 - Isabelle de Borchgrave

Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave is a painter by training, but textile and costume are her muses. Working in collaboration with leading costume historians and young fashion designers, de Borchgrave crafts a world of splendor from the simplest rag paper. Painting and manipulating the paper, she forms trompe l’oeil masterpieces of elaborate dresses inspired by rich depictions in early European painting or by iconic costumes in museum collections around the world. The Legion of Honor is the first American museum to dedicate an entire exhibition to the work of Isabelle de Borchgrave, although her creations have been widely displayed in Europe.

Pulp Fashion draws on several themes and presents quintessential examples in the history of costume—from Renaissance finery of the Medici family and gowns worn by Elizabeth I and Marie-Antoinette to the creations of the grand couturiers Frederick Worth, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel. Special attention is given to the creations and studio of Mariano Fortuny, the eccentric early-20th-century artist who is both a major source of inspiration to de Borchgrave and a kindred spirit.

Visit the artists website! http://www.isabelledeborchgrave.com