"Dressing French or Spanish style": A successful analysis of 18th century fashion in Spain.
The International congress "Dressing French or Spanish. La moda del siglo XVIII en España", held from September 18-20, 2024, brought together experts, academics and students from national and international institutions to analyze the clothing of the Age of Enlightenment and its impact on society, Economics and the art of the time. The event took place in two venues core topic: the Museo del Traje (September 18 and 19) and the Museo del Prado (September 20).
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The initiative, directed by Amalia Descalzo (ISEM professor), Saga Esedín(École du Louvre-UniversidadComplutense de Madrid) and Sandra Antúnez(Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), was attended by more than thirty specialists from universities, museums and research centers from all over Europe and North America.
Reflection on fashion in enlightened Spain.
The 18th century was a period of profound social, political and cultural changes, and the fashion of the time reflects these developments. During the congress, attendees had the opportunity to discuss foreign influences on Spanish fashion, fabrics and accessories, the textile industry and models of representation in art and the media. Among the most outstanding contributions were the lectures by Aileen Ribeiro(The Courtauld Institute of Art), who opened the event, and Lourdes Cerrillo(University of Valladolid), who closed it.
In this regard, Teresa Sádaba, dean of ISEM, stressed that fashion analysis not only serves to understand the past, but is also fundamental to understanding the future. "To be able to work in the future, it is necessary to understand the past". The dean stressed the importance of this subject of meetings to continue promoting the research on the history of fashion, which can provide valuable insights into its influence on the society of its time.
In addition, new research was presented on clothing habits and the cultural impact of garments, in a constant dialogue between tradition and innovation, art and society. This congress offered not only a space to reflect on 18th century fashion, but also a point of meeting to connect current research in the field of art history and design.
