Lesage X Vionnet
Couture Embroidery from the Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM Fashion Research Collection
Founded in 1858, the prestigious embroidery house of Michonet was purchased by Albert Lesage in 1924. It was renamed Maison Lesage and began producing elaborate embroideries for haute-couture fashion houses, including Madeleine Vionnet, whose innovations in design and construction introduced a language of modernity to fashion in the early twentieth century.
With more than twenty embroidery samples, the NGV’s Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM Fashion Research Collection holds a unique record of the relationship between Lesage and Vionnet, spanning from 1922 to 1938. This display offers a glimpse into the creative – and personal – collaboration between the houses and reveals the technical innovations Lesage created to realise Vionnet’s modern, delicate designs.
Produced with the generous cooperation of Maison Lesage, the display marks the 100th anniversary of the embroidery house.