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18th-Century Robe à la Française Day Dress
- by Emmanuel Muraille
To mark the 270th anniversary of the birth of Marie Antoinette of Austria, the 20th anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette, and the exhibition devoted to the behind-the-scenes story and making of the film, presented at the Petit Trianon in Versailles from 22 September 2026 to 24 January 2027, Arachné Brussels designed and created a robe à la française day dress, meticulously respecting 18th-century construction and dressmaking techniques.
The creation of this piece required more than 30 metres of fabric and approximately 250 hours of work, from the development of the design through to the final finishing details.
The textile pattern was also specially designed for this creation. It is a trompe-l’œil that visually recreates the effect of warp printing, a technique that gives the pattern the slightly blurred, vibrant appearance characteristic of 18th-century textiles.
The ensemble comprises:
- A metal and polyester pannier
- A cotton petticoat
- A sleeveless, back-laced cotton stays with tabs
- A gathered skirt in FSC-certified viscose and EcoVero
- A stomacher in organic cotton
- An organic cotton gown with Watteau pleats and sleeves, with georgette undersleeves
- Gathered trimmings, bows and flowers in silk and EcoVero
